In this video, Bush presents compelling data to draw a correlation between the use of glyphosate and the rise of chronic disease such as autism, obesity, leukemia, and cancer. Both phenomena rise in perfect synchronicity over the last few decades.
He tells the story of the time he and a team of doctors went to Washington, D.C. to testify before the Food & Drug Administration about glyphosate.
Damning evidence against glyphosate
The most damning evidence they presented was transgenerational research in mice. A female mouse was exposed to a tiny amount of glyphosate one time. Researchers tracked the next three generations of her offspring. Each generation experienced significantly greater and greater rates of kidney disease, tumours, and obesity.
By the third generation Bush says, “you see an explosion of transcriptional deficiency”. Glyphosate disrupts the body's ability to transcribe genes correctly, and this passes from generation to generation, leading to chronic disease.
At the end of the FDA hearing, the chairperson explained that the panel was fully aware of the transgenerational research on glyphosate, however Congress had recently passed a law banning the use of transgenerational research in policy-making.
It hit me like a lead balloon that the American government, whom I trusted, had been corrupted. I finally opened my eyes to the truth that big business influences policy-making by buying off law-makers and regulators to their favour.
An ethical dilemma
I am commonly asked this question, “Is the use of glyphosate to terminate crops a regenerative practice?” Clearly, glyphosate is harmful to life and is therefore not a regenerative practice.
This presents an ethical dilemma for me as an educator, because Holistic Management does not forbid the use of glyphosate. In fact, it does not forbid the use of any technology.
Instead, Holistic Management teaches us principles of how nature works, and gives us seven questions we can use to check our decision-making. Plus, it gives us a Feedback Loop for taking corrective action when we get it wrong. In other words, Holistic Management gives us what we need to make informed decisions and learn from our mistakes.
Early in my experience as a Holistic Management educator, I got embroiled in a debate over the use of glyphosate in the classroom. One farmer insisted it was safe. I finally had to let it go so as to avoid further disruption.
About a year later I toured his farm with a class. He said he was using glyphosate. I didn’t say anything about it, but the class asked me about it afterwards.
Another year later I toured his farm again with a class. He proudly stated that through his observations, he could see that glyphosate had a negative impact on the four ecosystem processes; the processes which sustain all life on his farm. He said this would be the last year of using glyphosate.
Five big life lessons
This experience taught me five big lessons.
What we learn through lived experience is the most powerful teacher.
In the classroom, I am simply planting seeds in the mind which sprout under the right conditions.
When a person learns Holistic Management, they are learning to think for themselves.
The power of observation is an extraordinarily important tool in the farmer’s toolkit.
When allowed time, humans are phenomenal self-teachers.
While I see that the continued use of glyphosate presents an existential threat to life, I also know that the experience of teaching others has supported my own personal growth and development.
In other words, because of the problem of glyphosate, the farmer and I learned and grew together. Upon reflection, we can see where and when we have been presented with the life conditions for personal growth. This world is positively amazing.
Sheila Cooke
CEO - New Foundation Farms / 3LM
