Toxic Agriculture
Toxic Agriculture
Sponsor
Solidaridad - Netherlands
Researchers
Cecilia Garibaldi Andersen, Sofie Bjornaa Dabelsteen, Helle van Pragh, Mia Jacobsgaard, Morten Hansen and Laila Mørk Lildballe.
Soy is for most consumers something to make tofu from. But in fact soy is an ingredient in many sorts of food we eat every day. Partly because soy is used as protein in the feed for our pigs, cows and chickens. So they can make meat, eggs and milk for us consumers.
Danish agriculture is a major importer of soy, which comes primarily from Argetina. The country has specializes in producing cheap, genetically modified soy. So-called 'round-up ready soy'. The type of soy is resistant to round-up. This means that the Argentinian producers can spray the soy against weeds without the soy in itself is damaged. However, the weeds has also become resistant to Roundup, which has resulted in a massive increase in the use of RoundUp. Currently 200 million liters of Roundup is used in Argentina every year.
Local authorities and researchers have repeatedly said that large amounts of herbicides can have a downside for the locals' health.
It is the health consequences as DanWatch sheds light on the project "Toxic Agriculture".
DanWatch has visited Argentina and talked with local experts and on the negative sides of the country's huge soy production. DanWatch has mapped they soy's way from Argentina's soy fields to Danish livestock feed, and as hidden ingredient in many everyday foods.


