GMO corn driving up use of dangerous pesticides

A very dramatic rise in the use of pesticides on Vermont dairy farms was uncovered following a recent public records request. According to the pesticide use data from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, the use of glyphosate more than doubled in the years from 2014 to 2016, while corn-related pesticide use climbed by a sobering 27 percent.

GMO corn has now become the state’s top crop, grown on 92,000-plus acres across Vermont. This corn is grown for the 135,000 cows in the state, most of whom are living in cow “warehouses” as the mega-dairy model’s popularity soars.