Want to reduce the amount of pesticides that you take in your food? People are choosing organic because this is something that they don’t want. Proponents of GMO claim you get less of this too. But a new study says that this is no longer true.

A key claim by agri-giant Monsanto for the use of genetically modified seeds is that their use allows farmers to decrease the overall use of herbicides. New research by Check Benbrook, from Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, shows how use of herbicides has increased in recent years. Benbrook found that GMO technology drove up herbicide use by 527 million pounds, or 11 percent, between 1996 and 2011. Weeds started to develop resistance to Roundup, which is Monsanto’s branded herbicide, and this pushed farmers to apply higher per-acre rates. Between 2009 and 2010, herbicide use jumped 24 percent as resistant weeds fully kicked in. Farms responded by ramping up the use of Roundup and also by resorting to older, more toxic sprays.

Of course that’s not the only reason to avoid GMO. See my earlier post ‘Do you know what you’re eating.’

For the full story see ‘How GMOs unleashed a pesticide gusher’ from the Guardian.

Image credit: Bev Currie on Flickr

Teri Morris is founder, entrepreneur and techie who blogs and tweets about health and wellness. In her spare time she's finding recipes for healthy meals, walking, or reading about the mind and neuroscience. She's worked for Information Communication Technology companies in both the US and in Europe and is developing YouSteps -- an on-line health and wellness application -- with two colleagues.