At Love Grown, we’re committed to keeping our products pure and being transparent about what that really means. We know you share those values with us, so we wanted to take this opportunity to share our thoughts on the latest glyphosate news.
You may have seen the news last week about an executive order aimed at keeping glyphosate-based herbicides and related chemicals in the supply chain. This might feel far away from our breakfast table, but we wanted to let you know that it is, in fact, on our breakfast table - and in our coffee cups.
What’s Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture. It helps farmers control weeds, and it has been controversial for years because of health and environmental concerns, like a link to cancers including non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
It can contaminate water, soil and food and kill essential plants, reducing biodiversity and harming species like the Monarch butterfly. Plus, the other chemicals in Glyphosate-based products can be even more toxic than the Glyphosate itself. That’s why it’s one of the main contaminants tested for by the Clean Label Project and is prohibited in organic farming practices.
What does the Executive Order say?
The EO classifies glyphosate and elemental phosphorus (used in munitions) as critical to U.S. national security and food-supply stability, which means the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to ensure continued production and availability of both. Alarmingly, it also provides some liability protections for manufacturers who comply with the order.
Why We’re Paying Attention
We’re really concerned about this for a few reasons:
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We believe glyphosate is a threat to health and safety. Not only should we not encourage its use, but as part of our certification with Clean Label we actively test for it and its breakdown product, AMPA.
We’re pleased to share that Love Grown cereal and coffee pods tested below measurable levels by third-party lab tests for Glyphosate. Our ground coffee did return small amounts of AMPA, but they are well below the volumes the FDA has listed as levels of concern for exposure. We’re so proud of these results, we put them right on the product pages.
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We believe shielding manufacturers of chemicals that can be harmful to humans, animals and our environment is a grave mistake. When companies actively promote harm, consumers need to be able to hold them to account.
What You Can Do
If you want to limit your own exposure to glyphosate, you can choose products that test for contaminants and are transparent about those results. Glyphosate is included in the Clean Label Project testing, for example, so you can trust products who carry that seal.
Organic farming practices do prohibit the use of pesticides like glyphosate, so choosing organic is also a reasonable option. However, a recent CLP study of 57 different coffee products revealed that AMPA showed up in about 72% of all coffees tested - even organic coffees!
We also suggest some activism here: tell your representatives that this matters to you. Use your voice and your dollars to support the businesses doing the right thing.
Got questions about what this means for you or how to choose a cleaner breakfast? Drop us a note — we’re always happy to connect the dots with you.
