185 million pounds, eh? That is an interesting trick in making something look much worse than what it really is.

Convert that to tons, and it is 82,589. That, in the grand scale of things, is not that much.

We use glyphosate on the farm where I work. It is used sparingly. The idea that is promoted by the anti-glyphosate people is that it is being used in high percentages. It is not. There is an optimum amount that is to be used to have the maximum effect. Pouring more on doesn't improve its kill rate.

I have just finished a course to certify me in use of agricultural chemicals. A key to determining the effect of a chemical is the LD50 and based on that, glyphosate is less toxic than salt and much less toxic than caffeine. Would I drink it neat? No, but I don't have any particular issue in using it.

Yes, there are quite significant issues with resistance to chemicals. There is a general policy for orchardists like us of rotating through different categories of sprays to avoid this resistance factor, and these include herbicides and fungicides. I don't know what herbicides that Monsanto's crops are resistant to, but if it's only Round-Up/glysophate, then that's an issue for Monsanto and its contracted farmers to sort out, and may end up biting them on the arse for the issues that have been highlighted. But there are other herbicides that can be used.

As to the presence of chemicals on fruit that can be washed off when bought -- not in my experience. In order to deliver fruit to market, there are specified withholding periods for any spray that is used. Some export markets require more than a doubling of the labelled withholding period. In our case, some cherries aren't sprayed with fungicides for up to three months, which leaves us at great risk of crop failure... but that is what countries such as Japan and China demand.

Fruit (I know a little about this) usually is picked and sent to a pack house where it goes through several water baths before it is sorted and packed. Sometimes fruit such as apples and oranges are waxed. There might be residues left of something such as kaolin clay which is used in some places for sunburn protection on apples (yes, I worked on a property where this happened).

There are other much more toxic chemicals that are being used out there. In Australia, there are quite strict controls on them and how they are used. Hence my ChemCert qualification. I don't know about the US. However, to paint a broadbrush negative picture is not fair to other countries that go about using such chemicals responsibly.

There also is a lot of misinformation about GM. Genetic modification has been going on virtually since the first plant farming started. How do people think seedless grapes and watermelon came about? And the different varieties of fruit and vegetables, and even flowers?

Farmers have a self interest in ensuring that their livelihoods are preserved and advanced. There is a huge divide in understanding by city people as to what constitutes responsible farming, and what actually happens out there.

Oh, and I do agree with the concept that a home gardener with access to off-the-shelf chemicals that are essentially the same as used on farms is a person who is much more dangerous to themselves and their environment.