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© EPA
The US Department of Agricultural is seriously considering approving of different kinds of corn and soybean seed, which have been genetically engineered to be resistant to many herbicides - including the chemical known as 2,4-D.

This controversial proposal of the chemical's use has activists and researchers outraged. Different types of corn and soybean seeds genetically made to resist several herbicides could be approved by the government agency in the near future.

Dow Chemical created genetically engineered seed under the brand name Enlist to combat the increasing issue of "superweeds" that have started to resist Monsanto's Roundup herbicide. The product, Roundup, is used on an array of genetically engineered crops. These also go by the name of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Farmers will be able to use Enlist to fight off weeds, according to Dow. However, critics and researchers of the harsh chemical claim that 2,4-D is associated with severe health conditions. Creating a much stronger solution to combat against resistant weeds is not a viable answer to the hurdles that lay in the way of modern farming, as critics are quick to point out.

About a month ago, the USDA published a draft on an environmental impact statement on the topic of genetically engineered corn and soy seeds, which have been under tight supervision since 2011. The strict watch has been due to the pressure that had come from organic harvesters and activists who remain worried about the widespread usage of 2,4-D. Still, the USDA is sticking by its insight on the subject matter. It argues that the GMO seeds do not pose a "plant pest risk" and the organization is supposed to approve of the seeds to be used in general.

Not only is the USDA involved in this sensitive decision, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also taking a look at the proposal. The EPA, which is known to control pesticides, is to give its expert review on whether or not to inject crops resistant to 2,4-D is the right choice to make for the farming industry. In just a couple of months from now, the EPA will make its choice on the ordeal in cooperation with the USDA.

Food safety advocates and environmentalists alike call the GMO seeds "Agent Orange crops" since 2,4-D was an element in the herbicide used by American troops during the Vietnam War. The concoction caused tragic illnesses among veterans as well as with the Vietnamese. It has been noted that Agent Orange's other chemical 2,4,5-T was tainted with dioxin. This in turn made the herbicide a serious threat to human health. In the meantime, 2,4-D is still being used in the US and in other countries across the globe.

Critics of the pesticide highlight the various studies that have linked up 2,4-D to health complications, such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is a kind of cancer. "Any increase in the use of 2,4-D with Enlist corn and soybeans will hit rural communities especially hard, as numerous medical studies have linked 2,4-D and related herbicides to increased rates of cancer and Parkinson's disease as well as low sperm counts in farmers and to birth anomalies in their children," Andrew Kimbrell, director of the Center for Food Safety said.

The chemical 2-4-D has been banned in a couple of nations including Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and some areas of Canada. The ingredient became a prohibited substance after research results revealed the truth about the chemical. However, the EPA recognizes the substance to be relatively safe. In 2012, the EPA refused a petition made by environmental groups to call off the chemical's registration on legal grounds.

The herbicide, 2,4-D, is actually the third most popular of its kind in the US and farmers are using it right now to fight against Roundup-resistant weeds. The USDA believes that the use of the powerful substance will grow by 75 percent in the coming six years should the Enlist crops not be approved by officials. If the Enlist's corn and soy are given the green light, the USDA thinks that the numbers of 2,4-D used up by farming communities will only increase by two to six times more.

Even though the USDA has found a wide variety of alternatives to 2,4-D should the soy and corn be denied usage on American farm fields, the controversial herbicide is the agency's "preferred" pick. In terms of the proposal, the public will be allowed six weeks to comment on this ordeal.