Farming-and Consuming-With Less Harm
By Dr. Michael W. Fox
It is difficult to tell farmers what to do when it comes to environmental and wildlife protection and more humane treatment of animals raised for food when they are driven by profit margins and know how to farm the government for subsidies and price supports. According to one survey, “Total covered cropland declined nearly 10 million acres or -4% between 2012 and 2022. The decline was slower between 2017 and 2022 (-3%). Total covered cropland includes land in cover crops, winter wheat, and forages as well as cropland in CRP and pasture and grazing land that can be cropped without additional improvement.” (Zulauf, C., G.et al.“Cover Crops and Covered Cropland, 2022 US Census of Agriculture.” farmdoc daily (14):37, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, February 22, 2024. Cover crops help prevent soil erosion, loss of nutrients and enhance carbon sequestration. No agricultural land should be left bare.
The Corn and Soybean Debacle
In the U.S., approximately 95.2 million acres are planted with corn and 83.4 million acres are planted with soybeans for the 2025 crop year, according to the USDA. This indicates a slight increase in corn acreage compared to the previous year and a decrease in soybean acreage. Approximately 15% of U.S. corn production and 49% of U.S. soybean production is exported, according to farmdoc daily and the Economic Research Service (.gov).
Roughly half of the field corn grown in the US is used to feed livestock, including cattle, pigs, and chickens. A large portion of the corn crop is processed into ethanol, a biofuel that can be blended with gasoline for use in vehicles. Corn is also used in a wide variety of food products, such as sweeteners (like high-fructose corn syrup), starches, and oils. It is also used in the production of various industrial goods like plastics, adhesives, and even some pharmaceuticals.
U.S. soybeans are primarily used for animal feed, accounting for over 70% of the crop, with poultry being the largest consumer. The remaining portion is used for human consumption, like soybean oil for cooking and food production, and a smaller amount for biodiesel.
Over 90% of both corn and soybean crops in the United States are genetically engineered (GE), according to the USDA. This includes varieties engineered for herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, or both. Widely applied herbicides and insecticides have created millions of acres of what I call Bio-industrial wastelands, devoid of wildlife, butterflies, and song birds. The living soil has been killed, leading to dependence on imported fertilizers (potash, phosphorus, and nitrogen) from Canada, Russia. Peru, Morocco. Trinidad, and Tobago. I call this industrial ecocide.
Herbicide and insecticide residues also play havoc with the beneficial microorganisms in our guts, and in companion animals fed pet foods containing soybean and corn, leading to a variety of health problems well documented in the medical and veterinary literature.
This sector of industrial agriculture is expanding. Quore, a Cargill Co. joint venture, are developing a substitute for fossil-fuel derived spandex, packaging and other consumer applications from corn. Corn-derived fabric and apparel, according to its advocates, supports a more circular economy that is sustainable and enables consumers to reduce their carbon footprint. This bioidustrial business is expanding as Cargill is producing 70 million gallons of ethanol per year and Archer Daniel Midlands investing in this “biobased” sector.
• This sector should rapidly transition to organic and ecologically regenerative production systems to reduce its significant contribution to climate change. It has taken decades for producers to plant winter cover-crops to prevent top-soil erosion and sequester carbon. Fewer of America’s large-scale corn and soybean farmers are planting cover crops this year than last, and nobody says they’re doing it to lock carbon in the soil, according to a Purdue University survey. ( https://www.agriculture.com/corn-and-soy-growers-take-a-step-back-from-cover-crops-says-purdue-survey-8347435#). Cover crops, long promoted as a way to improve soil health, have more recently been promoted as an agricultural practice that mitigates climate change and could be a new source of income. Some 52 percent of corn and soybean growers told the monthly Ag Economy Barometer that they currently plant cover crops, a 5-point drop from 2022 and a return to 2021’s levels. This practice should be mandatory across this entire sector.
In 2024, the government provided $9.3 billion in subsidy payments for commodity crops, according to USAFacts. Corn received $3.2 billion, representing 30.5% of all federal farm subsidies in 2024, making it the most subsidized crop that year. Soybeans came in second, receiving $1.9 billion, or 17.9% of all federal farm subsidies in 2024.
A significant harm from commodity crop production is evident in the decline in Monarch butterflies and other insects along with birds and other wildlife that depend on insects as a food source is as a result of the planting of genetically modified (GM) crops that are resistant to Roundup (glyphosate) herbicide treatment and produce their own insecticide called Bt. ( Bacillus thuringiensis).
Now, a new study links Monarch butterfly and other insect and bird declines with the widespread treatment of corn and soybean seeds with neonicotinoids in the Midwest that are absorbed into plant tissues. (see Van Deynze, B. et al (2024) Insecticides, more than herbicides, land use, and climate, are associated with declines in butterfly species richness and abundance in the American Midwest. PLOS ONE 19(6): e0304319. https://doi.org/10.1371/).
Glyphosate Herbicide Concerns.
With the development of herbicide-tolerant soybeans, corn, and cotton in 1996, the use of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides has increased dramatically, and globally. It is also used as a pre-harvest desiccant on crops like wheat, barley, oats, soybeans, sorghum and beans to accelerate drying and make harvesting easier.
Glyphosate is in the herbicide product called Roundup, and in other weed-killer formulations.There is considerable published research on how this herbicide affects the nutritive value of treated crops by binding some essential nutrients. (See Ismail Cakmak, et al. Glyphosate reduced seed and leaf concentrations of calcium, manganese, magnesium, and iron in non-glyphosate resistant soybean. European Journal of Agronomy, Volume 31, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 114-119, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2009.07.001
Glyphosate is a chelating agent that has the potential to impact the uptake of lithium by binding to lithium ions, like its documented effects on other metallic nutrients such as manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, etc. making them less available for plant uptake. Low levels of lithium are associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety, insomnia, sensitivity to stress, chronic pain, and a decline in natural healing processes, memory, and learning ability. High levels can be toxic. For details see Shakoor N, Adeel M, Ahmad MA, et al. Reimagining safe lithium applications in the living environment and its impacts on human, animal, and plant system. Environ Sci Ecotechnol. 2023 Feb 16;15:100252. doi: 10.1016/j.ese.2023.100252
A lithium a day could keep Alzheimer’s away
This research study has been widely noted by the news media. Replenishing the brain’s natural stores of lithium can protect against, and even reverse, Alzheimer’s disease in mice. Researchers found that in human brain tissue and mice, a decline in lithium concentration in the brain is linked to memory loss and the neurological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s — protein build-ups called amyloid plaques and tau tangles. The team found that these neurological changes were reversed in mice given a supplement containing a compound called lithium orotate. The molecule also restored the brain to a younger, healthier state and rolled back memory loss. See Aron, L., Ngian, Z.K., Qiu, C. et al. Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09335-x
Note also glyphosate may play a role in cardiovascular disease associated with low levels of magnesium: DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, Wilson W. Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis. Open Heart. 2018 Jan 13;5(1):e000668. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2017-000668. Erratum in: Open Heart. 2018 Apr 5;5(1):e000668corr1. PMID: 29387426; PMCID: PMC5786912.Because serum magnesium does not reflect intracellular magnesium, the latter making up more than 99% of total body magnesium, most cases of magnesium deficiency are undiagnosed. Furthermore, because of chronic diseases, medications, decreases in food crop magnesium contents, (italics, mine), and the availability of refined and processed foods, the vast majority of people in modern societies are at risk for magnesium deficiency. Certain individuals will need to supplement with magnesium in order to prevent suboptimal magnesium deficiency, especially if trying to obtain an optimal magnesium status to prevent chronic disease. Subclinical magnesium deficiency increases the risk of numerous types of cardiovascular disease, costs nations around the world an incalculable amount of healthcare costs and suffering, and should be considered a public health crisis. That an easy, cost-effective strategy exists to prevent and treat subclinical magnesium deficiency should provide an urgent call to action.
Glyphosate is thought to suppress cytochrome P450 enzymes. These enzymes play a crucial role in activating vitamin D within the liver and kidneys, converting it into its active form, calcitriol. Thus, inhibition of these enzymes could lead to impaired vitamin D activation and potentially deficiency. Glyphosate can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut (dysbiosis). A healthy gut microbiome is essential for various bodily functions, including nutrient absorption and immune system regulation. Some research suggests that alterations in gut bacteria might impact vitamin D metabolism or its effects on the immune system. There are other documented effects of glyphosate on human health collated by Galli, F.S. et al. (2024) Overview of human health effects related to glyphosate exposure. Front. Toxicol. 6:1474792.doi: 10.3389/ftox.2024.1474792. Pfizer’s costly and widely prescribed anti-viral Paxlovid has not proven as effective as anticipated, especially in cases of long-COVID, while the protective benefits of daily vitamin D3 supplements have not been widely promoted.
Glyphosate can disrupt hormonal systems leading to reduced sperm counts in animal tests.( Wenyan Cai, Ying Ji, Xianping Song, et al. Effects of glyphosate exposure on sperm concentration in rodents: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology. 2017; 55: 148-15522-00906-3). It has been found to result in lower birth weights in humans, ( Gerona, R.R., Reiter, J.L., Zakharevich, I. et al. Glyphosate exposure in early pregnancy and reduced fetal growth: a prospective observational study of high-risk pregnancies. Environ Health 2022; 21: 95. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-0).
Glyphosate has been implicated in neurobehavioral abnormalities including autism-like behavior in laboratory animal studies.( Yaoyu Pu, Jun Yang, Lijia Chang, et al. Maternal glyphosate exposure causes autism-like behaviors in offspring through increased expression of soluble epoxide hydrolase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2020; 117: 11753-11759. 10.1073/pnas.1922287117). See also Xiu He, Yongyong Yang, Shun Zhou, et al. Alterations in microbiota-metabolism-circRNA crosstalk in autism spectrum disorder-like behaviours caused by maternal exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides in mice. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 2024; 285: 117060, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117060.
An analysis of several research studies of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate, states:
“Our findings strengthen the mechanistic evidence that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen and provide biological plausibility for previously reported cancer associations in humans, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We identified potential molecular interactions and subsequent key events that were used to generate a probable pathway to lymphomagenesis.” (Iemaan Rana, Patton K. Nguyen, Gabrielle Rigutto, et al Mapping the key characteristics of carcinogens for glyphosate and its formulations: A systematic review, Chemosphere, Volume 339, 2023, 139572, ISSN 0045-6535, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139572.).
Additional research studies highlight the risks of this herbicide: E. Reynier, & E. Rubin, Glyphosate exposure and GM seed rollout unequally reduced perinatal health, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 122 (3) e2413013121, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2413013121 (2025).
Riechelman-Casarin L, Valente LC, Otton R, Barbisan LF, Romualdo GR. Are glyphosate or glyphosate-based herbicides linked to Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)? The weight of current evidence. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology. Published online April 2025:104705. doi:10.1016/j.etap.2025.104705
Glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor and may cause reduced fertility and erectile dysfunction.
According to legal experts, the average Roundup settlement payout is $150,000 per plaintiff. Bayer agreed to pay nearly $11 billion to settle Roundup safety claims, but over 40,000 active lawsuits remain in litigation. Lawsuits claim using Roundup, a popular herbicide containing glyphosate, caused plaintiffs’ non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers. (Statement from https://www.drugwatch.com/legal/roundup-settlements/#)
It would therefore be advisable to consume USDA Organically Certified foods since glyphosate is prohibited under organic standards, and organic soils a less nutrient-deficient than conventional.
Effects on Horses
Feeding racehorses and breeding stock only organically certified dietary ingredients, or at least non-GMO and glyphosate -tested feed, might help reduce these race-track deaths and injuries resulting in euthanasia. According to Joyce Harman, DVM, www.harmanyequine.com. in her article concerning glyphosate in horse feed (https://www.horseillustrated.com/gmo-and-glyphosates) “There are 10 crops that are GMO (genetically modified to be resistant to glyphosate) at this time, several of which are fed to horses on a regular basis. These crops include: alfalfa, apples, canola, corn (field and sweet, not popcorn), cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, yellow squash, and sugar beets. In 2008, sugar beets became GMO and are currently found in most horse feeds. Corn and soybean have been GMO for much longer. Alfalfa is legal to grow as GMO, but since it’s a perennial and not replanted every year, it has been slower to be adopted. There is great controversy over GMO alfalfa because it’s pollinated by bees, making it easier to cross-pollinate with organic fields. It may also contribute to the decline of the bee populations. Currently glyphosate is also sprayed right before harvest on wheat, buckwheat, barley, oats, lentils, and beans that are not genetically engineered. Glyphosate kills the crop, and this dries it out so it can be harvested sooner than if the plant were allowed to die naturally. Residues have been found on most products made from oats, barley, wheat, chickpeas, lentils and many more foods. Grains fed to horses and livestock are not routinely tested in these studies but can be expected to be at least as high. Unfortunately, this means that just feeding non-GMO feeds such as oats and barley is not a way to escape the contamination. Research has shown that pigs have severe stomach inflammation after just five months of eating GMO corn and soybean. Pigs actually have a similar digestive tract to horses (except for the fiber digesting cecum and large intestine). Horses are fed GMO corn, soybean and beet pulp for years. The increase in gastric ulcers and digestive tract issues has become much worse over the last 10 years.”
See also, Schusser GF, Köller G, Recknagel S, Lindner A. Glyphosatnachweis in der Duoden-alflüssigkeit bei Pferden mit Magenulzerasyndrom [Glyphosate detection in the duodenal fluid of horses with gastric ulcer syndrome]. Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd. 2022 Nov;164(11):777-788. German. doi: 10.17236/sat00374. PMID: 36325641.
And: Is the herbicide Glyphosate causing laminitis and chronic illness in horses? by Edward Busuttil DVM
Pet Food Contamination
Glyphosate has been detected in high fiber/cereal content cat and dog foods. Companion animal feeds contained 7.83 × 101–2.14 × 103 μg kg−1 glyphosate which is likely to result in pet exposure that is 4–12 times higher than that of humans on a per Kg basis. ( Jiang Zhao, Steven Pacenka, Jing Wu, et al. Detection of glyphosate residues in companion animal feeds. Environmental Pollution. 2018; 243:1113-1118).
The prevalence of lymphoma and other cancers in companion animals, metabolic syndrome/obesity, intestinal dysbiosis and associated dermatological problems may be related to this herbicide contaminant in their food.
Glyphosate Makes Harmful Algae Proliferate. See report by Brittanie L. Dabney, Reynaldo Patiño, Low-dose stimulation of growth of the harmful alga, Prymnesium parvum, by glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides. Harmful Algae, Volume 80, 2018, Pages 130-139, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2018.11.004.
Ninety percent of corn grown in US and over 80% of soy crop is fed to farmed animals…much of being exported to China and other countries to feed factory farmed animals that are a potential source of pandemics, the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus now decimating wild bird and land and sea mammals around the world.
With climate change-related floods and droughts reducing crop yields and causing food shortages and rising market prices globally, feeding people first rather than using land to produce crops for farmed animal feed, regardless of the dubious promises of developing genetically engineered flood, salt and drought resistant feed crops, would be prudent. Recent floods in many states have lead to factory farm beef feedlot and hog and poultry confinement operations animal waste/manure holding lagoons overflowing and causing extensive pollution of surface and ground waters,fish kills, and risks to public health from excess nitrates and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Climate change also brings unprecedented heat that stresses these confined animals and suffocation with power-outages. Their suffering is compounded when ventilation is turned off to kill them when they have diseases such as avian influenza, extermination being the accepted means of disease control which would not be needed if animal factory farms were phased out.
Wealthier countries need to consume less meat to tackle climate change — and one nationwide experiment in Denmark to encourage plant-based diets may show a way forward.See article by Sanne Wass: Denmark Wants People to Consume Less Meat, Dairy - Bloomberg. Big Pharma that makes $ billions from antibiotic, vaccine and production-enhancing drug sales for factory farmed animals will protest and lobby against any reductions.
Consumers can join the farm-with-less-harm movement by purchasing produce and prepared foods (including some pet foods) that carry the logos USDA Organically Certified, GMO Free and Animal Welfare Certified. (Certified GAP.org). For environmental, biodiversity- conservation, economic, and health reasons, millions of consumers in many countries are now opting for vegetarian and vegan diets and healthful vegan pet foods are now available for companion animals.