Who is responsible for initially making the claims that seeds are being injected with herbicides like Roundup and Agent Orange?

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Friday, 30/10/2015 14:31

It is difficult to pinpoint where false claims like these begin. First, we would like to address the claims themselves, and then their origin.

Is Roundup injected into seeds?  Kimberly Hodge-Bell, Senior Toxicologist at Monsanto helps address part of your question in this response:

“No.  Despite all the memes showing needles injecting unknown substances into genetically engineered (GE) crops, that is not how it works.  In fact, injecting glyphosate or other herbicides into the corn seed would not help control weeds.  Roundup agricultural herbicides are sprayed on the weeds in the field to prevent them from competing with crops for the water, sunlight and soil nutrients needed to grow.  The weeds will die, while the Roundup Ready crop will survive and thrive.  

Is Agent Orange injected into seeds?  No.  Tom Helscher, Director of Corporate Affairs at Monsanto provides some history and information about Agent Orange in this response:

“From 1965 to 1969, the former Monsanto Company was one of nine wartime government contractors that manufactured Agent Orange for the U.S. government. The government set the specifications for making Agent Orange and determined when, where and how it was used. Agent Orange was produced only for, and used only by, the government.”

If these claims are false, then who is responsible for machining these claims about GMOs? It is very difficult to pinpoint who made the initial claims. For purposes of this response, we’ll explore why these false claims are made and who are often the culprits.

When anti-biotechnology organizations, celebrities and even authors make inaccurate claims about GMO safety and production – their claims are not evaluated by the at-large scientific community and governmental organizations. Unlike scientists, who must endure rigorous peer reviews and testing (which can take years) before they can make any scientific claims, some organizations and individuals often base on their claims on emotions or unsubstantiated studies.

Although it is important to understand the roots of misinformation, thinking critically about scientific claims and investigating them is the best way to reveal the truth. This response from Mary Mertz, who farms GM crops, discusses why false claims about GMOs are made:

“In my opinion, the biggest problem with the seeds is the amount of misinformation that is being circulated out there. GMOs have a public-image problem. The science-based reality proving GMOs to be safe and nutritious takes a backseat to the emotional propaganda meant to create skepticism in the mind of the consumer.

“The National Academy of Sciences, the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the American Dietetic Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among many other reputable institutes and organizations, find GMOs to be as safe and nutritious as foods produced in any other way. 

“People unassociated with farming may have the impression that farmers no longer have a choice in terms of the seeds that they buy for crop planting. This is not the case. There are options; there are many seed companies from which to purchase the supply. We choose the seeds we use based upon many factors, top of which would be performance (higher yields with lesser use of other inputs, like pesticides).”

GMO Answers is a resource intended to provide facts about GMOs and biotechnology. We include information from different perspectives so that you can dig deeper, examine the information, and make up your own mind.  If you have additional questions, please ask.