To: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Tell the USDA to Stop Chemical Warfare on Our Food!
Before 2,4-D tolerant corn, soy and other crops are approved and de-regulated by the USDA, a more comprehensive assessment of the impact that these crops and their companion herbicides will have on the environment, food safety and biodiversity is required. We strongly urge the USDA to postpone action and approval of de-regulation of DAS-40278-9 Corn pending further study. We further urge the USDA to grant the petition submitted by the Save Our Crops Coalition in APHIS-2010-0103 and conduct the environmental impact statement requested therein.
Why is this important?
The U.S. Military notoriously used Agent Orange in the Vietnam War to defoliate forested and rural land to deprive combatants of tree cover and plant food sources. The Military's application of this highly toxic chemical had devastating effects on the environment and on human life. Now, one of the makers of Agent Orange, Dow Chemicals, seeks approval of corn and other crops that are resistant to 2, 4-D, a chemical in Agent Orange. If these crops are approved, farmers who plant them will be required to use herbicides containing 2, 4-D to manage weed growth.