Hi guys!
Last week we gave a short but important introduction to Glyphosate- the weed killing herbicide that has several dangerous side effects on our own health and the planet. If you missed that here is a button is a link to the post.
Glyphosate Part 2
What is it?
Just to catch you up, Glyphosate is a broad spectrum herbicide that blocks a vital bacterial pathway, the shikimate pathway, causing plants to die from lack of nutrient synthesis.
When Monsanto developed glyphosate and introduced it’s cornerstone product, round-up in the 1970’s. It was thought that neither humans or animals had a shikimate pathway, and therefore glyphosate would be harmless to them. Running on this assumption, Monsanto has developed genetically modified (GM) crops (corn, soybean, cotton, alfalfa, sorghum, sugar beets) for round-up usage. And farmers have developed techniques using round-up to help them harvest their non-GMO wheat, barley, oats, rice, and beans easier. Consequently, glyphosate is everywhere in the non-organic food supply in this country.
What does it do and why is it bad?
Glyphosate has been shown to cause health problems. A major lawsuit was won linking glyphosate to the blood cancer non-hodgkins lymphoma. Researchers have shown that the shikimate pathway is present and being destroyed by glyphosate in our human micro-biome, which is currently being validated to be the cornerstone of human health depending on it’s bio-diversity.
How do we avoid it?
So, we know that glyphosate is harmful to our health and is present in a lot single ingredient foods that we may overlook when we are out in the world: canola oil, vegetable oil, oats, wheat flour, cane sugar, almonds, beans, and more.
And then there’s processed products that are showing PPM values that are way, way above what is even allowed in the United States. Products being manufactured by Doritos, Nature Valley Granola, Honey Nut Cheerios, Cheetos, Coca Cola
Here’s a link to an awesome study and the glyphosate test results for so many of the standard foods that one would find in the supermarkets, mini-marts, and food outlets available to most of our nation’s citizens.
Ok, so we see that glyphosate sucks. The farming practice of killing everything to make things easy and controllable doesn’t work. Because killing everything actually kills everything. And that’s not good.
So, where do we go from there.
Well, first I think that we need to share the information to everyone that we know and love to support their health. And we need to start pushing. Pushing back at the restaurants, at the cafeterias, at the breweries, at the supermarkets, and at the food industry in general.
Because, now is the time to push some change. We all know how much better we felt at the start of the pandemic when we were cooking for ourselves, baking our sourdoughs, and had the time to dedicate to our food.
I didn’t have any allergies for months…. Hmmmm.
I’m sure you felt the same. The research says glyphosate was a main culprit.
So, now that we are back in the world, eating their bread again. Eating their oils again. Eating their food again, let’s take what we have learned during these quiet, reflective 18 months and push some darn change.
I’m tired of hearing that organic is not important. Because it is. It is the first line in the sand .
It is the first line protecting us, protecting farmers, and protecting the planet.
Yes, it’s not perfect, and yes there are companies cheating.
But it’s a line, and we need that line.
So, let’s come out of our Covid hibernation with a sense of purpose. Let’s enlighten and enliven our friends, our family, and their business’ with the desire to protect themselves and protect their community from poisonous ingredients.
Let’s torment them to buy organic hops for their beer, question why they would ever use GMO Soy/Vegetable oils, avoid their breads, but lets do it with love and get them over to our side.
Because, the larger we can make our movement, the more farmland we can convert, the more farmland we can convert, the more healthy food can be produced, and the more healthy food can be produced will drive down Organic prices to where they should be, to a place accessible to all.
Because, clean food is the heart of food justice.
Jason
The Gift of Health
Health is everything to all of us. Without our health and without our planets health, what do we have?
I know this is an overwhelming topic, but it is a topic that I’m proud to say, we are fortunate to be taking on, and fortunate to be able to afford to contribute to.
Because many people on this Earth are not able to contribute to this fight, and are counting on us to keep pushing it along.
The chemical companies are poisoning our food, our animals, and our environment.
But we have the means to choose to eat their shit, or to not.
For that we are blessed,
But let’s not forget that many of us are not.
Before I continue into the continuing discussion on Glyphosate that we started on instagram,
If you’d like to send a box of clean/ not poisoned/ health food to one of our community members that does not have our privilege of choice.. please Click here.
It has been so awesome to see how stoked these lovely families are to get clean, traditional healthy food.
Zach Bush, MD. does a very good job summarizing this all here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw16LPVnNco
Or if you’re a science nerd like me and like to read more, this article is awesome:
In long format:
And also in shorter format here:
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/what-foods-have-glyphosate
Ok, so we see that glyphosate sucks. The farming practice of killing everything to make things easy and controllable doesn’t work. Because killing everything actually kills everything. And that’s not good.
So, where do we go from there.
Well, first I think that we need to share the information to everyone that we know and love to support their health. And we need to start pushing. Pushing back at the restaurants, at the cafeterias, at the breweries, at the supermarkets, and at the food industry in general.
Because, now is the time to push some change. We all know how much better we felt at the start of the pandemic when we were cooking for ourselves, baking our sourdoughs, and had the time to dedicate to our food.
I didn’t have any allergies for months…. Hmmmm.
I’m sure you felt the same. The research says glyphosate was a main culprit.
So, now that we are back in the world, eating their bread again. Eating their oils again. Eating their food again, let’s take what we have learned during these quiet, reflective 18 months and push some darn change.
I’m tired of hearing that organic is not important. Because it is. It is the first line in the sand .
It is the first line protecting us, protecting farmers, and protecting the planet.
Yes, it’s not perfect, and yes there are companies cheating.
But it’s a line, and we need that line.
So, let’s come out of our Covid hibernation with a sense of purpose. Let’s enlighten and enliven our friends, our family, and their business’ with the desire to protect themselves and protect their community from poisonous ingredients.
Let’s torment them to buy organic hops for their beer, question why they would ever use GMO Soy/Vegetable oils, avoid their breads, but lets do it with love and get them over to our side.
Because, the larger we can make our movement, the more farmland we can convert, the more farmland we can convert, the more healthy food can be produced, and the more healthy food can be produced will drive down Organic prices to where they should be, to a place accessible to all.
Because, clean food is the heart of food justice.
Jason