Why and how to save bees and ourselves? (New corrected and improved version)

1.: The problem

2.: The problems regarding the bees

3.: The problems regarding humans

4.: Current agricultural practices

5.: The solution (not public)

1.: The problem

Bees are dying. By the millions. And humans too…

Our home, this beautiful planet is crumbling under our management. Wars, famine, poverty, and the destruction of our livelihood together with the shrinking of available clean, drinkable water and healthy, good food. This is not good for either the bees nor us, humans. The reasons why we allow this to happen unfortunately are of a more complex matter which I won't go into details of right now. However, I would like to approach this subject solely by checking out what are the reasons which affect bees and humans alike making both species seriously unhealthy. This, like most health problems, is largely related to nutrition.

Since modern agriculture changed to monoculture thus reducing the crop variety on farms which goes against the basic principles of sustainability. This and modern methods of ploughing, has eroded the top layers of the soil and lowered the number of nutrients and minerals that are needed to grow healthy plants. The result is our crops are more sensitive to pests and diseases and less nutritious. To manage these losses man has applied the wide use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and finally he introduced GMO crops. In the long run, this method will definitely lead to a catastrophe. Bees are the early warning markers, as were the canaries of the coal-mine.

If it is not healthy for bees, why do we think it is healthy for humans?

Until the beginning of the 20th-century farmers mainly used inorganic and natural insecticides, which later became less effective. Around the 1950’s these had been replaced by hydrocarbons, methyl carbamates and pyrethroids, just to name a few. These were not as harmful to bees nor humans, but as agriculture changed its ways for the worse (mono-crop lands) and insects developed resistance, their effectiveness decreased. This situation generated a need for stronger plant protection products. Research revealed the high effectiveness of a new generation of pesticides, Neonicotinoids. Presently these are the most commonly used poisons, with which we “protect” our crops with. From gardening to industrial farming since the early 1990s from their development and their worldwide acceptance in the beginning of the 2000s. Strange coincidence - the first serious losses and reports started to surface about CCD (colony collapse disorder) simultaneously around the globe resulting in almost the worst decline in 2006. Since it was developed and first implemented in the USA, the American bee colonies and other natural pollinators suffered the biggest losses, decimating their numbers. Right now almost a dozen, if not more, different species of bees and other pollinators are on the endangered species list in the USA. When the Varroa mite arrived, that was the last straw for bees and CCD was born on a grand scale.

2.: The problems regarding the bees

What is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)?

“Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is the phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen, plenty of food and a few nursery bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen. While such disappearances have occurred throughout the history of apiculture, and were known by various names (disappearing disease, spring dwindle, May disease, autumn collapse, and fall dwindle disease), the syndrome was renamed colony collapse disorder in late 2006 in conjunction with a drastic rise in the number of disappearances of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in North America. European beekeepers observed similar phenomena in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Switzerland and Germany, albeit to a lesser degree, whilst Northern Ireland received reports of a decline greater than 50%.“

Source: USDA, National Agricultural Service

(I would like to point out that the number of pollinating activities by other pollinators has dropped dramatically. However because it does not represents a direct value expressed in dollars, euros or other currencies we do not consider it important to mention them. This is a mistake, we will later see why.)

What are the symptoms? - Impaired smell and learning abilities - Disorientation and loss of memory. - Loss of larvae development and nursing, there is also a decrease in egg laying rate of the queen and heavy decline in the drone's healthy spearm count. - Reduction of activity, disorganization of work - Increased vulnerability to parasites

- The weakening of the colony, and impaired wintering in the hive

Source: USDA

Overall, these symptoms weaken the colony and in some cases result in the complete collapse of it especially when attacked by Varroa mites. These mites feed on the bee's blood, weakening them even further whilst also giving them other harmful bacteria, and viruses etc. As we can see from the above graph, after 2006 the decline of bees stopped. However recent research and reports suggest that the colonies are much weaker, not producing that much honey then before the neonicotinoids and GMOs.

How does neonicotinoids and glyphosate work?

Neonicotinoid compounds are structurally and functionally similar to nicotine. The primary modes of action of these pesticides are to both damage the insects' nervous system and mid-gut. Furthermore, various studies proved that neonicotinoids impair the smell, memory and learning ability of bees. Moreover, physiological effects such as breathing or development of pharyngeal glands which is active in honey bees during the foraging season are also impaired. Apart from neurological signs neonicotinoids and glyphosate also reduce bee's resistance to diseases and pests. Therefore we can clearly state that while certain corporations try to shift the blame for CCD onto - for example - the varroa mite, this is not entirely true, since it is merely a symptom of a weaker immune system and reduced hygiene instinct, thanks to pesticide poisoning. As for glyphosate, it is a non-selective herbicide, meaning it will kill most plants. It prevents the plants from making certain proteins that are needed for plant growth. Glyphosate stops a specific enzyme pathway, the Shikimic acid pathway which is necessary for plants and some microorganisms. Unfortunately, this kills the bio-flora in the bee's and human's guts as well disrupting the metalbolism and results in constant inflamation. Commit this to your memory this will be important later.

Those who have been keeping bees for decades especially in Europe, probably still remember that bees could easily deal with the same varroa mite level as now, and yet still survive and thrive.

The above reasons coupled with these other following factors; pollution, habitat loss, poor quality pollen and stress, related to the overworking of bees, especially in the pollinating services industry. All these problems have profound effects on these creatures.

To be efficient in eliminating pests and pathogenic micro-organisms pesticides must stay on plants for a sufficient amount of time. This results in the pollution of the nectar, pollen, honeydew and even water, which is the main cause of pesticide poisoning in bees.

Here we have to mention GMO’s and the reasons why they are so bad?

Like every monstrosity created by men this can happen in several different way.

One way is when the seeds are coated with pesticides -usually neonicotinoids - or the plant itself is genetically modified to produce pesticides. In either case, you or the bees can't wash it off but will consume it, since it will be in the nectar, pollen, honeydew or even the water.

“Neonicotinoid-treated seeds -basically seeds dipped in pesticides- exploded in popularity since the mid-2000s. But the precise environmental effects of this kind of seed treatment isn’t particularly well-understood.“ Source: Modern Farmer

Or at least that is what they want us to believe.

“ There has been that the seed-coating treatments do not adversely affect non-targeted insects like the tiger beetle or bees. The tiger beetle is a predatory insect, which is a scary name for a bug that farmers should actually love: it feeds on aphids, caterpillars, and slugs, and will even eat the seeds of weeds. Farmers have no reason to want these guys dead, in addition to the fact that killing large numbers of any animal can throw off an entire ecosystem.

A new study (1) from the entomology department at Penn State finds that, in direct contrast to this long-standing belief, neonicotinoid-treated seeds, in fact, pose a significant risk to predatory insects like the tiger beetle. The study examined more than 20 different field studies, crunching the numbers in various ways, to find out exactly how these seeds affect predatory insects, and the results are scary: a reduction in predatory insect populations by 10 to 20 per cent. ” Modern Farmer

We now know all too well what is the percentage of bee decline. One of the key findings of this study is an indication that the treated seeds and the plants that grow from them are actively toxic to these insects.

And there is the second way of poisoning, when the plant produces their own pesticides, like Bt crops. These plants have been engineered to produce a Bt protein which is toxic. In theory, it is toxic to certain types of pests. But still toxic. And once it consumed who knows if it will degrade or will be stored somewhere in the body. Or as a matter of fact in the bee's body.

After these monstrosities, there is a bonus method how to poison the bees and humans alike. The third version: herbicide-resistant crops. These do not produce their own pesticide but instead, are developed to be resistant to effective herbicides so farmers are choking the environment into the poison. GM versions of herbicide-resistant crops include glyphosate-resistant and glufosinate-resistant varieties. These herbicides were designed to be “toxic poisons” to the weeds in the field, but they are substantially less toxic to most other organisms in the system. I hope you didn't miss the word, less. Less, but not, NOT TOXIC.

But there is a little problem. Thanks to the positive publicity of recent years, bees have become very popular. This has led to a lot of people beginning to keep bees for either hobby or business. This has contributed to the apparent increase. A few years ago a special hive -the FlowHive- had appeared which makes it very easy to extract honey. This has further increased the community of hobbyists. These reasons all make the impression that there is really no problem. Unfortunately, all who think this are wrong.

(1): Rapid increase in neonicotinoid insecticides driven by seed treatments: Neonicotinoids may harm pollinators, April 2, 2015, Penn State, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150402092123.htm

3.: The problems regarding humans

And now here is the problem with humans. We think that we are the exception. But are we? Really?

Theoretically, it should be a huge difference, since humans got the blood-brain barrier which should protect us against the pesticides. First, we need to know what is this barrier.

The blood-brain barrier is a highly selective membrane barrier, which separates the circulation blood from the brain and the brain fluid in the central nervous system. It allows the passage of water, some gases, lipid-soluble molecules, glucose and amino acids that are crucial to the proper working of the brain. Also, it prevents the entry of potential neurotoxins, however some regions in the brain do not have this barrier. These are the regions which are the linkage between the central nervous system and peripheral blood.

How are the pesticides damage the brain nevertheless?

Since humans have a long-term exposure to these poisons the body won't be able to protect themselves against them, also there are some gaps. What are the gaps?

1. The circumventricular organs, which are the linkage between the central nervous system and peripheral blood. The peripheral blood transports the oxygen, water and helps the body to be healthy. Unfortunately, pesticides can damage the DNA of this blood (1). Then the blood will carry it to the circumventricular organs, then the central nervous system, thanks to the long-term, constant exposure.

2. The blood-brain barrier's semi-permeable membrane allows the passage of water and peptides are able to cross this barrier. Why is this bad? Since if we consume water witch laden with pesticides, this pesticide will pass through the membrane just like lead, which can “pretend” it is a calcium ion, since the membrane itself won't select between waters. Also there is a special kind of pesticide, which is a new compound: synthetic antimicrobial peptides. These can also pass the barrier with ease. Less toxic, but still toxic.

3. Pesticides (glyphosate or neonicotinoids) are not a single chemical. These are different families of compounds (1000s) with different toxicological, physical and chemical properties. Because of this it is impossible to tell what kind of effect the combination of these will have on the environment. Since the amount of pesticides are used constantly, increasing worldwide (2 million tonnes a year), more and more residues are detected in more foodstuffs, water and feed, exposing the human and animal population from lots of different sources, basically 24/7.

4. The brain-blood barrier is sensitive. It can become leaky or more permeable, which will help the pesticide

molecule to reach the target area easier.

What can make it weaker?

Inflammation in the body. Now, this is particularly interesting since pesticides will cause that in the gut, which is the other target area. This makes it easier to reach the secondary target area the nervous system. Lik it was created this way on purpose. Other issues including, neurological diseases, epilepsy, brain trauma, edema, and in systemic diseases, which affect the whole body.

(1): Pesticide Mixture Induced DNA Damage in Peripheral Blood Erythrocytes of Freshwater Fish, Oreochromis niloticus Faiza Ambreen*1 and Muhammad Javed21Department of Zoology, GC Women University Faisalabad, Pakistan2Department of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan http://researcherslinks.com/current-issues/Pesticide-Mixture-Induced-DNA-Damage/20/1/942/html

Let us check the symtoms we saw earlier which can happen when we got poisoned by neonicotinoids and/or glyphosate and check the timeline when these poisons appeared?

Let's start with a list of symptoms of pesticide poisoning in humans.

1. Headache, fatigue, dizziness, nerve damage 2. Loss of appetite with nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhoea 3. Reduced sperm count, sterility and miscarriage 4. Development of allergies 5. Birth defects 6. Others like the ability to produce cancer or assist carcinogenic chemicals, genetic changes and induce tumour growth

You have probably realised that these symptoms are more or less the same as in bees. Now, we need to compare what this really means. But before we do we need to see the exact timeline. Then we will go onto the symptoms. Below is the graph when we started to use glyphosate in 1974. Remeber, they started to develop neonicotinoids in 1995 and until 2005 it was widely excepted and sold all around the world. Please, compare it with the graph regarding the CCD increase and all other diseases.

Source:US Environmental Protection Agency, Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage 2006and 2007 Market Estimates, Grude, Donaldson, et.al.2011/02

1. Headache, fatigue, dizziness, nerve and brain damage, learning disabilities.

In bees, we call this impaired memory and learning abilities, disorientation and loss of memory. We are humans, so we have a fancy name for this. We call it Alzheimer. Please, take a look at the graph from development of neonicotinoids in the 1990s to 2005 the full launch; there is a steady rise and a huge increase. But it is probably a " coincidence ". What have we learnt earlier? The pesticides affect the nervous system and bees will have reduced cognitive function, like learning and memory issues. Why would it be any different with humans? The only difference is since the body is bigger takes longer to get properly poisoned.

Source: USDA, NASS, CDC

On the diagram below we can see the estimated rise up until 2050, how the population will be affected. This proves once more, that the food we eat is toxic and makes us, keeps us sick. We have to act until it is not too late.

Source: Alzheimer's Study Group

I’m going to use mainly the results of the U.S. population since they started the implementation of pesticides there and the exposure of GMOs and pesticides are the highest. We can get a general idea of how things will work out everywhere else if we allow our governments to use GMOs and pesticides on a comparable scale as in the USA

Since the U.S. government is not going to regulate GMOs or pesticide usage – on the contrary, they have even tried to force it on to other nations in the form of the trade deals - TTIP or TTP, I think we can believe the accuracy of these numbers stated. Since the level of poisoning is not as high, but constant, and the most vulnerable are people over 80, so it follows that more people that reach old age, the more will have Alzheimer's. Don't forget baby boom.

Another extremely vulnerable group are children.

Since the constant exposure of pesticides in the diet, basically from the womb, our children will develop a fair amount of disabilities from an early age, if they manage to born healthy. One of the most obvious ones is learning disabilities since pesticides damage the brain. Autism is also on the rise which is a learning and emotional disability. If we look at the graph below, we can see how much pesticide usage impacted the growth in autism cases.

Remember, they started testing it and develop it in 1995. By 2000 it was widely used in the USA. But I guess it is just pure coincidence once again.

Source: USDA, NASS, CDC

2. Loss of appetite with nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhea

As we established previously, the pesticides act on the mid-gut of the insects so it shouldn’t be assumed to work differently in humans, and it does this by destroying the bacteria of the gut in bees and humans alike. In bees, if it is a low dosages, it results in less activity, less appetite etc., but in high dosages the results are, diarrhoea, undue stress or nosema and then finally death. Sometimes I wonder if these disorders experienced by bees and very similar to man might have originated from this poisoning. Taking notes from people in different professions i.e - those who work in the catering industry will tell you – that while customers are ordering food from restaurants they are asking to substitute certain ingredients because of all sorts of sensitivities, some being far more unpleasant than others to replace them. Take for instance gluten, and then there is diary etc. Along with wheat and oats, a pesticide is used to desiccate a wide range of crops including lentils, peas, non-GMO soybeans, corn, flax, rye, triticale, buckwheat, millet, canola, sugar beets, and potatoes and one very important crop which is most critical for bees, sunflowers. But more on this one later.

3. Reduced sperm count, sterility and miscarriage in humans

The sperm count in healthy males dropped significantly – around 60% approximately - in the past almost 4 decades. In bees, the queen egg laying rate drops significantly whilst the nursing of the young uns becomes inadequate.

Source: Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis (Levine et. al. 2017)

In 2015 and 2016 an american study proved, that the vitality and count of sperm in bees – just like in humans- dropped as much as 50%.

In 2010 UC Berkeley study showed that even at low levels, the herbicide, atrazine decreased male fertility in frogs. Tyrone B. Hayes and colleagues raised 40 male frogs from larvae until sexual maturity. The frogs were swimming in water that contained a pesticide called atrazine. The atrazine level in the water was below what the EPA considers safe for drinking water. They also studied a control group of 40 frogs who were not exposed to the pesticide in their water. When the study was completed, 10% of the frogs exposed to the atrazine had matured as females instead of males. While they still had male genes, they developed female anatomy, including ovaries. These male-turned-female frogs produced eggs and were capable of mating with male frogs. The frogs that were exposed to atrazine also had lower testosterone levels, lower fertility levels and showed less interest in mating.

What is a strange coincidence, that our favourite evil company launched its flagship product in 1974, and then to top it off in 1990's another company started developing the neonicotinoids. After then infertility accelerated resulting in an additional 32.2% less sperm in healthy males. We can be quite sure that from 2000 when they started to use them worldwide within a decade a minimum 20% was the drop, but this percentage is an optimistic estimate, might be even higher. I'm just wondering how much more this can decline.

Source: Joelle le Moal, Epidemiologist at the French Institute of Public Health Surveillance

This graph shows the test results conducted in France around 2006. We can almost conclude that Roundup and neonicotinoids hand in hand are definitely responsible for the sharp decline of sperm count.

There was another test conducted at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Epidemiologist Irva Hertz-Picciotto proved that pesticide usage raises the risk of miscarriages as high as 40%. She and her colleagues checked 10 counties, most of them in California's Central Valley, using a state-wide database of pesticide applications that listed the specific chemicals applied, the date, and the location within 1 square mile, for 1984. They combined those data with state health records of 73 women in the same area who had a miscarriage or whose child died within 24 hours after birth, and 611 controls who gave birth to healthy babies.

Women who lived within 2 miles of a place where halogenated hydrocarbon based pesticides were used during the first 2 months of their pregnancy--when foetal organs are formed--were more than twice as likely to have a miscarriage caused by foetal defects. Other common classes of pesticides organophosphates and carbamates raised the risk by about 40%. Strengthening the case, the risk was higher if women lived within 1 mile of the farm where the chemicals were applied. And imagine this is based on the data before the neonicotinoids arrived. And neonicotinoids are the strongest ever created pesticides. Make no mistake we are still using these pesticides up to this day. Let this sink in!

Presently massive bee deaths occur and humans are less fertile and sick as never seen before. Let's take a look at what happens with bees. I will reiterate, the queen egg laying rate drops significantly and also nursing of the young uns. Hence fewer bees, weaker colony. Just like our various societies.

4. Development of allergies

We don't have enough data to see that bees can have allergies, but for now, this is not important, there is plenty of proof that pesticides are harming them as we have seen from the list of symptoms previously mentioned. In humans, there is an important difference.

This is Not for the faint-hearted, so brace yourself for impact.

As we learnt pesticides can have an effect on the respiratory system of bees, which makes them weaker. In humans, this can lead to various breathing problems and allergies or allergy asthma, and one very important allergy in particular which is rising quickly and already affect millions is gluten intolerance or coeliac disease. It is a weird name but has nothing to do with gluten. Humanity eating bread for thousands of years but all of a sudden we have a problem? What if this is not gluten intolerance? Remember, what we said about bees?

Pesticide affects their mid-gut. And this poison affects humans just the same.

Source: USDA, NASS, CDC

Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., published a paper (1) on the increasing use of glyphosate, he wrote about the practice of spraying pesticide on the wheat prior to harvest.

The practice is known as desiccating. The pre-harvest use of glyphosate allows farmers to harvest crops as much as two weeks earlier than they normally would basically killing the plants.This method was introduced in the 1980s in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Since then, celiac disease cases have been increasingly growing due to this mere coincidence . Just like Crohn's disease or even multiple sclerosis.

If you take a look at the fantastic coincidence of the rise of pesticide applied to wheat and the extreme increase of “ gluten “ intolerance, you might start thinking that there is something terribly wrong with our system. We are not sensitive of wheat but we are sensitive of poisons. And to top it all up this is the way they teach future farmers to farm in most universities or agricultural colleges, especially in the US.

(1):Trends in glyphosate herbicide use in the United States and globally Charles M. Benbrook Environmental Sciences EuropeBridging Science and Regulation at the Regional and European Level201628:3 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-016-0070-0

5. Birth defects

The best example of birth defects happened recently in Brazil 2015. The scary Zika-virus. Strangely enough, nobody really mentioned that to kill the mosquitoes they needed to use 2 extremely strong pesticides simultaneously. When we check the symptoms of Zika in adult patients, the symptoms are mild. During pregnancy, however, the child can develop microcephaly, due to the Zika-virus, as they say. But! In a country where they had the same mosquitoes, all of a sudden there is a significant increase in microcephaly? Almost like an outbreak? And another strange coincidence that Zika arrived in 2014 when Brazil broke a new record on pesticide sales. The symptoms of Zika are similar to the symptoms when the skin get into contact with pesticides.

Rash, itching all over the body, fever, headache, joint pain, muscle pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), lower back pain.

So if we want to have a scapegoat Zika is our best friend.

But let us check what can cause microcephaly. Genetic conditions, certain infections, and toxins can cause it. Now, what have we learnt previously? Pesticides cause genetic changes, birth defects and nerve damage. This might explain the rapid increase in the cases of microcephaly, which is “ a medical condition in which the brain does not develop properly resulting in a smaller than normal head “. Brazil has a very bad experience with pesticides.

“ Centro de Ciências da Saúde , Universidade Federal do Ceará , Fortaleza , Brasil .

Pesticides are currently a major public health problem, considering the size of the exposed population in pesticide plants and surrounding areas, in farming, in fighting endemics and other sectors, in the vicinity of farming areas, and ultimately all of us, who are consumers of contaminated products. Between 2007 and 2011, according to data from the Information System of Compulsory Notification Conditions (SINAN), there was an increase of 67.4% of new non-fatal labour accidents due to pesticides, and the coefficient of intoxications had an overall increase of 126.8%, and was even higher among women (178%) “ It does not take much figuring out to guess that if poisoning increased in women, those who are pregnant will affect the foetus too. What do we know about Brazil's pesticide usage? The Brazilian pesticide market has been consolidated as # 1 in the world considering sales value.

Sales 2000-2012 , and 2013 and 2014 Estimates’ (US$ billion)Source: Mr. Flavio Hirata, MBA, agronomist, http://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---11750.h

Now, we need to take into consideration that a baby is in their mother's womb for 9 months. And pesticides needed to be in the body for a significant amount of time and/or constantly to have aneffect on the mother and the foetus.

Since – despite the health warnings from earlier on – the Brazilian pesticide market has grown exponentially, that would give enough time and constant supply of poisoning to have an outbreak type effect after a certain period of time. Please, take a look at the graph below.

Source: Brazil Ministry of Health

While we are at it, we need to check another trendy, new illness. Autism. But it is always more profitable to blame somebody or something else like the MMR vaccines.

Source: USDA, NASS, CDC

Are you angry yet? I hope so. Because we need to do something about it.

6. Others like the ability to produce cancer or assist carcinogenic chemicals, genetic changes and induce tumour growth

In bees – as insects – theoretically it is possible to get unnatural tumour growth and even cancer, however, their lifespan doesn't really give enough time to have the illness develop in full.

In humans, well, we all know it can happen for sure.

First of all, pesticides disrupt metabolism significantly slowing it down, which will lead to obesity. The digestive system won't be able to absorb the nutrients and can't get rid of the toxins. Because of this the toxin level I the body increases further weakening it. Then thanks to genetic changes and the assistance of carcinogenic chemicals, eventually this situation will lead to cancer. Note; there is a period of time which depends on the dosage and the strength of the individual’s immune system before sickness sets in and it is this time frame that allows pesticide manufacturers to blame whoever and whatever they want. I would like too advise to check the Seralini report if you interested further in this subject. You will find the link below among the sources.

Source: USDA, NASS, CDC

So, it is time for a short summary.

Source: USDA, NASS, CDC

Based on all the available data and the thousands of proofs we can state that there is an extreme probability that pesticides usage affect our daily life and killing the bee and human population on a mass scale.

We are being poisoned. We are being lied to.

Of course, there are other factors which contribute to our demise, but like with bees and the Varroa mite all others just giving us the last straw, making it the last drop for our weakened immune system depending on our individual immune responses. And the beauty of it? We are consuming them on a massive scale. 2 million tonnes a year. Without the GMOs. And these pesticides are going into all foods, organic or not since the pesticide will wash into the water tablet as we learnt previously. The half life of glyphosate depending on the usage. Officially cannot be more than 14 days. However this is all depends on how it is used, usually the time is longer. Regarding neonicotinoids the situation is even worse. In the soil it can be over a thousand days and since the farmers are using it over and over again this will lead to the cummulation of this poison. In the long run this results that the farmers will never be able to grow anything else except GMOs in the treated area. In plants with woody stems this half life is minimum a year.

I would really like to say something uplifting, that is, we should choose organic and eat healthy, live in harmony, etc. Unfortunately that would be just self-deception.

But change starts from knowing.

However, there is hope.

4.: Current agricultural practices

The reliance or actually over-reliance on pesticides, artificial fertilizers and mono-cropping is the cause of environmental degradation of the planet. The evidence for this as we saw earlier, now overwhelming: today’s agricultural practices are a key contributor to the enormous biodiversity losses, degradation of at least 20 per cent of the global land and 30 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

How we treat soil?

We treat it like dirt, ignoring the fact that it gives us our food.

In the past, farmers knew the use and benefit of sparing. As we know from the dictionary sparing is “ marked by or practising careful restraint “. As humans, we seem to forgot what restraint is. In a system, which prefers to create waste to induce more profit is not much of a surprise. Despite the fact that the so called experts are talking about over-population and how hard is to feed the population that is not a problem that the “evolved” and “civilised” west trow away millions of tons of food every day. While the population's other half is starving, because it is more profitable to throw away the food.

In industrial systems, increasing production on existing farmland is considered to have the benefit of ‘sparing’ other land. But, the issue here is not how much land is farmed: it is how is farmed. This is thanks to hundreds of years bad practices, combined with the ultimate greed of the last over 100. Since modern agriculture changed to monoculture thus reducing the crop variety on farms -which goes against the basic principles of sustainability. This and modern methods of ploughing, has eroded the top layers of the soil and lowered the number of nutrients and minerals that are needed to grow healthy plants. The result is our crops are more sensitive to pests and diseases and less nutritious. To manage these losses man has applied the wide use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and finally he introduced GMO crops. In the long run, this method will definitely lead to a catastrophe. Globally, 20 per cent of the land is considered degraded (1), limiting its productive capacity and resilience to environmental change.

How we treat water?

Worse than we treat our soil. Which is especially bad, since it is more scarce than soil and we rely on it more than actually on the soil. And not only us. The whole ecosystem. Destroying a resource like this not only selfish but also stupid. It is suicide and murder.

Industrial agriculture’s excessive application of fertilizers and pesticides as well as waste generation have resulted in severe water pollution and contributed to ‘dead zones’ at many rivers and seas. Here we have to mention that we have to include pesticide pollution as well. Despite the fact that the main pesticide manufacturers claiming that modern pesticides degrade in nature, we can clearly see that pesticides are definitely not doing so. Enough to remember the experiment with frogs.

The loss of soil and clean water, especially clean water will impact the whole ecosystem and will have an adverse effect on biodiversity. The worldwide loss of pollinators - not only bees - now occurring is closely linked to agricultural intensification, habitat fragmentation and the abuse of agrochemicals. Industrial agriculture is putting itself and the future of food production at risk.

We simply cannot allow it.

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https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2016.00028/full#B6

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5820

http://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---11750.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4749221/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322225152_Toxicity_of_Atrazine_and_Glyphosate_Base

d_Formulations_on_C_elegans

https://oldwayspt.org/blog/common-ground-whos-living-your-gut-%E2%80%93-and-why-matters

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160624150813.htm

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/advpub/2016/7/EHP515.acco.pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026265X11000324

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-014-3332-7

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/125-a41/

https://www.businessinsider.com/dead-zone-in-the-arabian-sea-gulf-of-oman-is-biggest-in-world-

2018-5?IR=T

https://www.usda.gov/nass/PUBS/TODAYRPT/hcny0516.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Rising-incidence-of-autoimmune-disorders-Brady-David-M-

2013-Molecular-Mimicry-the_fig1_282219429

https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/the-high-cost-of-pesticides-human-and-animal-diseases-

2375-446X-1000132.php?aid=56471

http://www.iron-clay.com/glyphosate-the-time-bomb.html

https://modernfarmer.com/2016/12/pesticide-coated-seeds-dangerous-helpful-insects-knew/

https://sciencing.com/what-peripheral-blood-4672930.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18649311

https://desdaughter.com/2013/07/23/the-decline-in-male-fertility-scientists-puzzle-over-decliningsperm-

counts/

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-01/documents/tolerances-commodity.pdf

https://theethicalskeptic.com/2014/11/19/pseudoscience-in-action-the-urgent-need-to-reform-thescience-

around-glyphosate/

https://barbracohn.com/2017/08/31/the-most-important-thing-you-need-to-know-about-eatingwheat/

http://baylor.agrilife.org/files/2011/05/sesamegrowerguide2008.pdf

https://www.dirt-to-dinner.com/whats-the-buzz-on-bees/

https://www.livescience.com/40895-gmo-facts.html

https://wle.cgiar.org/thrive/2016/07/04/current-agricultural-practices-stand-way-sustainability-it

%E2%80%99s-past-time-diversify

https://gmoanswers.com/ask/how-can-adding-lot-toxic-poison-pesticides-ground-be-good

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-12/ps-cia120716.php

https://www.bewellbuzz.com/general/truth-pesticides-gmo/

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2001/03/pesticides-raise-miscarriage-risk

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a02d/b714be9f254d398494219a384dae7f052b2a.pdf

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2014000701360

http://www.yalescientific.org/2013/02/the-secret-life-of-bee-bacteria-gut-microbiota-may-yieldclues-

to-honey-bee-health/

http://non-gmoreport.com/articles/grim-reaper-many-food-crops-sprayed-with-weed-killer-beforeharvest/

https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.84.3.446

http://www.apisplus.com

"http://achatius1976.wixsite.com/projectbee/single-post/2017/05/25/How-and-why-to-save-the-bees

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/resources/pesticide-induced-diseases-database/birth-defects

http://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---11750.htm

"https://ensia.com/features/developing-world-pesticides/" https://ensia.com/features/developingworld-

pesticides/

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/zika-virus-uk-americaeurope-

symptoms-cure-pregnantwomen-microcephaly-a6851126.html

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2014000701360

https://www.cdc.gov/zika/parents/what-parents-should-know.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/double-dose-pesticides-stops-zikamosquitoes-

cdc-says-n653686

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jul/29/infertility-crisis-sperm-counts-halved

https://survivingthemiddleclasscrash.wordpress.com/tag/glyphosate/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2314669

http://www.roundup.ca/en/rounduphistory

http://www.ceoalzheimersinitiative.org/why-alzheimers

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159442.php

http://www.headlice.org/faq/treatments/signs-symptoms.htm

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323394504578607641775723354

"http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.84.3.446

( If you want to get angry read this one )

http://www.glyphosate.eu/system/files/sideboxfiles/clarification_of_preharvest_uses_of_glyphsate_

en_0.pdf

http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/grim-reaper-many-food-crops-sprayed-with-weedkillerbefore-

harvest

http://www.roundup.ca/_uploads/documents/MON-Preharvest%20Staging%20Guide.pdf

http://www.yalescientific.org/2013/02/the-secret-life-of-bee-bacteria-gut-microbiota-may-yieldclues-

to-honey-bee-health/

: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2001/03/pesticides-raise-miscarriage-risk