According to the Cornucopia Institute, the European Parliament requested that Monsanto make all of their data and research on glyphosate available to the public. This will give independent scientists the opportunity to analyze and determine whether or not Monsanto’s claims are supported by their own data. Monsanto has been accused of doctoring and paying off research organizations to produce such data in the past. There are even claims that the US National Cancer Institute has withheld unpublished data supporting the use of glyphosate. Where is the transparency?

With all of the recent controversy surrounding the safety of glyphosate, why would you continue to use it? Glyphosate products are already listed as carcinogenic in the state of California. If there were even a small chance that an apple had been poisoned, would you eat it? Most likely not. So why does this happen every single day? Instead of relying on synthetic chemicals that have permeated the agricultural system for half a century, let us move towards innovation and progress, promoting organic systems that are safer, natural, and beneficial to our planet. Neem-based products in agriculture are the future. What’s on your food?

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Each year, 37% of potential crop yields are lost due to pests. This means that every year, $122 billion is wiped off of the market in potential output. If pesticide use were completely stopped, this number would double. However, many pests, like weeds and herbs, are now developing resistance to synthetic pesticides that have been used for generations. In order to continue producing more and more food, more and more pesticides will need to be used. Unfortunately, this will inevitably compound the issue of resistance development, requiring more pesticides for lower crop yields. How can this be reversed? By using natural pesticides like neem.

Neem is a natural pesticide that affects the hormonal system of insects, rather than comprehensively poisoning and killing organisms indiscriminately. While not effective immediately after application, pests will typically disappear for good within two weeks. Additionally, neem naturally repels many insects. So, while neem is working to rid crops of the current pests, it prevents future infestations. Neem is also cost-effective, as it has a similar price to many synthetic pesticides without any of the associated consequences. However, if we were to increase the use of neem products and other natural pesticides globally, overall cost would decrease. For example, in the US, the $10 billion annual environmental price tag would decrease!

Neem works by protecting your food, the environment, and the future, naturally.

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By the 1930s, there was a push to produce more and more food as the population had hit 2 billion and was showing no signs of slowing. Though it took over 120 years to go from a global population of 1 billion to 2 billion, there were only 33 years between the 2nd and 3rd billion. Consequently, with this rapid increase in demand for food, there was a scientific push to increase yields through innovative crop care and protection. German chemists discovered organophosphates during World War II. Intended for use as a chemical weapon, these compounds were kept secret during the war. After the war, they were repurposed as insecticides. Then came DDT. DDT is a synthetic compound synthesized by humans. These pesticides became hugely popular due to these benefits:

• Broad Spectrum: toxic to a wide range of pests, but thought to be safe for mammals
• Persistent: remained effective in the environment and required infrequent applications
• Water Insoluble: unaffected by rain, allowing for infrequent application requirements
• Inexpensive: cheap to buy and easy to use

These types of synthetic pesticides grew increasingly popular and were used to control mosquitoes in public, residential areas and delouse soldiers in WWII. However, there are immense health risks to continued use. DDT accumulates in body fat and the environment for generations! Nowadays, there are still reports of people with high DDT levels in their body, as well as traces found in soil and water samples.

Though plant-based pesticides have been around since the 1600s, they have not always been considered effective enough when considering cost or application. However, due to the destruction of the environment and the degradation of human health associated with synthetic chemicals, this is quickly changing. Without a focus on naturally derived pesticides, we will continue to produce synthetic chemicals that solve the global food security issue, supporting the rapid increase of our populations, but without proper knowledge and understanding of the severe health or environmental consequences. Instead of risking your future, support natural biopesticides, like neem.

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