At the end of last year, when many were focused on the holidays, the USDA quietly opened comments on
Dow Chemical’s proposal to get its 2, 4-D (Agent Orange) corn and soy approved for the market.
Public outcry followed and USDA’s comment period was extended to April 27.
Even though 2,4-D is banned in parts of Canada and Europe because it causes
cancer, Parkinson’s and reproductive problems, USDA seems ready to approve its use, assuring the continuation of a losing strategy of creating
fast-spreading super-weeds that require stronger and stronger poisons. USDA should, instead, be promoting natural and organic farming everywhere, using the least toxic methods possible and honoring the precautionary principle.
Fortunately, says
Working Assets, EPA may now step in to stop or restrict Dow’s poisoning, and we need to make sure it does.
Tell EPA to reject Dow’s Agent Orange 2,4-D!
We, the undersigned, support all efforts to stop this further assault on our food and our environment.
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) says RoundUp's failure has already cost Midwest and Southern farmers dearly, creating fast-spreading super-weeds that break machinery and disrupt irrigation. But instead of abandoning this losing strategy, Dow hopes to gain by making things even worse.
2,4-D resistant corn will repeat the same failed approach to farming taken by Monsanto's "RoundUp Ready" corn that is costing farmers and the rest of the planet dearly.
Says PAN: "This dangerous and antiquated herbicide shouldn't be on the market, and we certainly should not be giving Dow license to profit from driving up use."
We urge EPA now to reject Dow's plans for 2,4-D resistant seed lines (whether corn, soy or cotton). We join PAN and others in calling for “more attention instead to research and development of safe and smart 21st century ecological approaches to weed management.”.
We thank you for your attention to our requests and plead with EPA to intervene and ban the use of 2,4-D.
