At Mr Vitamins we've previously discussed the potential dangers of consuming Glyphosate (aka Roundup). So you probably know that eating non-organic fruits and vegetables or foods made with genetically-modified ingredients increases your risk of developing several serious medical conditions.

Are you at risk in Australia?

Nevertheless, we dug a little deeper to determine just how “at risk” Australians are in exposure to, or consumption of Glyphosate. As a result of articles published in the US regarding the spraying of Glyphosate on wheat to help it ripen, we took an in-depth look at agricultural practices in Australia, as well as agricultural regulations by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinarian Medicines Authority, or APVMA. So, join us on this 2-part series as we explore glyphosate use in Australia…

Why do farmers use Glyphosate?

In the US, it is believed that glyphosate yields an earlier, easier, and larger wheat harvest, but that is not necessarily true for Australian agriculture. After all, there are a few reasons why Australian conditions do not need glyphosate:

• Glyphosate is used as a drying agent to help ripen grain, however Australia’s dry climate, wind, heat, and low level of soil moisture are sufficient for drying out crops

• All the flowers on a wheat plant ripen at the same time, so applying glyphosate will not speed up that process

• As part of Integrated Pest Management, Australian farmers seek alternative methods and use chemicals, like glyphosate, as an absolute last resort

• Australian law only allows agricultural chemicals to be used under certain conditions according to the climate and regulations

• Wheat varieties grown in Australia are selected specifically for growing conditions in Australia. Therefore, Australian wheat requires farming practices that differ from other parts of the world

When might Glyphosate be used in Australian farming?

Again, it is important that you know that all agricultural as well as veterinarian products are controlled and regulated by the APVMA. At the same time, farmers are required by law to use chemicals following the directions supplied on the container of the chemical. Overall, the only benefit Australian farmers may gain from using glyphosate is weed control. And even then, glyphosate can only be used in compliance with label directions. In Part 2 of this article you'll  learn about how Glyphosate works and why it's so dangerous to your health. For even more information, just ‘Ask a Naturopath.’