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Bijlage: brief van Dr. Huber aan de USDA 

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

A team of senior plant and animal scientists have recently brought to my
attention the discovery of an electron microscopic pathogen that appears
to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably
human beings. Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very
serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR)
soybeans and corn—suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely
the presence of Roundup. This organism appears NEW to science!

This is highly sensitive information that could result in a collapse of
US soy and corn export markets and significant disruption of domestic
food and feed supplies. On the other hand, this new organism may already
be responsible for significant harm (see below). My colleagues and I are
therefore moving our investigation forward with speed and discretion,
and seek assistance from the USDA and other entities to identify the
pathogen’s source, prevalence, implications, and remedies.

We are informing the USDA of our findings at this early stage,
specifically due to your pending decision regarding approval of RR
alfalfa. Naturally, if either the RR gene or Roundup itself is a
promoter or co-factor of this pathogen, then such approval could be a
calamity. Based on the current evidence, the only reasonable action at
this time would be to delay deregulation at least until sufficient data
has exonerated the RR system, if it does.

For the past 40 years, I have been a scientist in the professional and
military agencies that evaluate and prepare for natural and manmade
biological threats, including germ warfare and disease outbreaks. Based
on this experience, I believe the threat we are facing from this
pathogen is unique and of a high risk status. In layman’s terms, it
should be treated as an emergency.

A diverse set of researchers working on this problem have contributed
various pieces of the puzzle, which together presents the following
disturbing scenario:

Unique Physical Properties

This previously unknown organism is only visible under an electron
microscope (36,000X), with an approximate size range equal to a medium
size virus. It is able to reproduce and appears to be a
micro-fungal-like organism. If so, it would be the first such
micro-fungus ever identified. There is strong evidence that this
infectious agent promotes diseases of both plants and mammals, which is
very rare.

Pathogen Location and Concentration

It is found in high concentrations in Roundup Ready soybean meal and
corn, distillers meal, fermentation feed products, pig stomach contents,
and pig and cattle placentas.

Linked with Outbreaks of Plant Disease

The organism is prolific in plants infected with two pervasive diseases
that are driving down yields and farmer income—sudden death syndrome
(SDS) in soy, and Goss’ wilt in corn. The pathogen is also found in
the fungal causative agent of SDS (Fusarium solani fsp glycines).

Implicated in Animal Reproductive Failure

Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of this organism in a wide
variety of livestock that have experienced spontaneous abortions and
infertility. Preliminary results from ongoing research have also been
able to reproduce abortions in a clinical setting.

The pathogen may explain the escalating frequency of infertility and
spontaneous abortions over the past few years in US cattle, dairy,
swine, and horse operations. These include recent reports of infertility
rates in dairy heifers of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions in cattle
as high as 45%.

For example, 450 of 1,000 pregnant heifers fed wheatlege experienced
spontaneous abortions. Over the same period, another 1,000 heifers from
the same herd that were raised on hay had no abortions. High
concentrations of the pathogen were confirmed on the wheatlege, which
likely had been under weed management using glyphosate.

Recommendations

In summary, because of the high titer of this new animal pathogen in
Roundup Ready crops, and its association with plant and animal diseases
that are reaching epidemic proportions, we request USDA’s
participation in a multi-agency investigation, and an immediate
moratorium on the deregulation of RR crops until the causal/predisposing
relationship with glyphosate and/or RR plants can be ruled out as a
threat to crop and animal production and human health.

It is urgent to examine whether the side-effects of glyphosate use may
have facilitated the growth of this pathogen, or allowed it to cause
greater harm to weakened plant and animal hosts. It is well-documented
that glyphosate promotes soil pathogens and is already implicated with
the increase of more than 40 plant diseases; it dismantles plant
defenses by chelating vital nutrients; and it reduces the
bioavailability of nutrients in feed, which in turn can cause animal
disorders. To properly evaluate these factors, we request access to the
relevant USDA data.

I have studied plant pathogens for more than 50 years. We are now seeing
an unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal diseases and
disorders. This pathogen may be instrumental to understanding and
solving this problem. It deserves immediate attention with significant
resources to avoid a general collapse of our critical agricultural
infrastructure.

Sincerely,

COL (Ret.) Don M. Huber, Emeritus Professor, Purdue University, APS
Coordinator, USDA National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS)