Alfalf Is It Really That Dangerous?

Alfalfa- Is it really that dangerous?
Alfalfa, otherwise referred to as the “father of all herbs”, is a Lucerne which is known for its enrichments of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It was a product first discovered by the Arabs naming it “Al-Fal-Fa”, which directly translates to “father of all foods”. Alfalfa is widely known for its beneficial supplements to human health; it had been included in medicines to improve digestion and it is said to have a huge impact in decreasing cholesterol and sugar levels in order to support heart and liver functions, increasing energy rates and fighting of exhaustion. Essentially alfalfa has a vast range of beneficial supplies due to its active 2-3% component named saponins, an ingredient which has the proven
Studies have approached the improvements and even opposed different researches; research has stated that the possibility of seed-to-hay contamination had been 0.25% due to the crops being 160 feet apart, this essentially shows that the GMO alfalfa has no impact on other organic material within an area whereas the organic industry accepts less than 5% of crops to be contaminated, there is really no risk (McWilliams, 2011). It had also had a positive impact due to the fact that farmers had selected to plant the RR alfalfa where there had been a possible chance of ground or surface water contamination, this essentially states that it has improved a sector in the environmental aspect. Furthermore the RR alfalfa is indulged with glyphosate which controls weeds such as dodder, nutsedges, quack grass and dandelion which is not at all controlled by the present herbicide. On another note, it is also a source of advertisement for seed companies allowing for a wide range of expected farmers (Bellucci, 2013). Grower’s claim that their stands are present for longer as it is not affected by conventional herbicides whilst growers use Roundup only twice in two and a half years, 19 out of 23 farmers surveyed had referred to it as an “A” grade (Putnam, 2011). Furthermore it has been altered to grow bigger and increase in tolerance to salt due to the Alfin I a transcription factor, it has also become sensitive to aluminum
Economically there is an issue due to the fact that weeds which grow amongst GMO accepting plants develop a resistance towards glyphosate which deals with the economical aspect due to the fact that it cost vast amounts of money to deal with (Brennan, 2013). In fact, RR alfalfa increase the use of herbicides and it has been estimated that around 200,000 pounds a year will be additionally applied, this does not only have a vast aspect towards the financial decrease but it also affects the environment and the health. The RR alfalfa produced costs twice as much as other seeds due to the fact that the price includes the technology fee which is placed upon GM seeds (Plourd, 2013). The economy is also affected in a sense that countries such as China, Japan and Korea are refusing to accept GM foods, this means that markets for producers of GMO alfalfa will be eliminated including the meat, dairy and honey industry. Fundamentally, it also means that non-GMO alfalfa will be limited or even increasingly expensive (Regal, 2014). A farmer has stated: “They’ve introduced a technology that they can’t manage and now I have to pay the bills." - David Vetter, Nebraska Farmer (Vetter, 2014). However, farm income benefit has had an upside due to the fact that 49% of the income has