Télémécanique Organic

Recognize this logo? You can find it in grocery stores and kitchens across the nation. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic symbol is one of the most recognized labels currently on the market and one that you rightously don't mind paying extra for. When food is stamped with this approval you can be positive that it has been grown and processed without "synthetic fertilizers." Said fertilizers are harmful to the environment and in some cases our health.

Bearing such a seal on your product requires a lot of commitment and effort, which is why this specific label is so respected. There are other claims on food packages to "hook you in" but they are not all as defined or vigorously enforced as the Organic label is. One to be particularly aware of is the term "all-natural." There is no standard of "natural" for food products other than meat and eggs, so each company has its own definition. This is not to say that you should not buy products labeled "natural," just be aware of what you are buying. Another tricky claim is "no hormones added." The USDA websites says that it has never allowed added hormones to pork, poultry, or goat. This means that the "raised without hormones" chicken is not more qualified than the other chicken on the shelf. It is tough to be a consumer in this day and age, and it is imperative to be able to see through the marketing strategies.

If organic food is so great, why don't all companies make the switch? It is not easy or cheap to become an organic farm and it is hard to maintain as well. Small farms that have a total income of $5,000 or less in organic sales or less do not have to certified, but every other farm must go through extensive lengths to be certified. First of all, there is a three year transition period where you must cleanse the land of the impure fertilizers and pesticides. In this time, you essentially are using the expensive natural pesticides, but must sell your product at normal price. Then you can apply to an organic certifying agency who will charge fees for the application, inspections, and the annual renewal. If you pass all of the inspections and pay all the fess, you will be granted certification and permission to use that popular label. Proper certification covers crops, livestock, processed products, and wild crops.

An upward trend has been observed, as more and more Americans are buying organic products. The high demand along with that tedious process of certification has led to supply shortages, which cause companies to outsource to other countries with USDA certified farms. It is sad that the industry has come to this, considering there are plenty of American farmers in the process of becoming organic.

One important fact to highlight is that "Organic" does not mean "Healthy." When I ask people why they choose to buy organic food, the most popular response is that its healthier. The public eye has made an illegitimate subconscious connection between the two, when in reality organic food does not offer more nutrients or less calories. If anything, GMO's are healthier than organic food.  I predict that the misconception is due to the fact that the most common organic products are fruits and vegetables which are naturally a healthy choice, but does this organic product look healthy?

Do you know about GMO?

A common word you may hear in health news today is GMO or genetically modified organisms. This term is defined as organisms that instead of mating and reproducing naturally, their DNA has been altered by transferring genes from on organism to another. One of the reasons GMOs are being used is to protect crops from disease by changing their DNA so they are more resistant against bacteria and insects. National authorizes say assessments for GM foods are necessary, but not so much for conventional foods.

Many GM foods are present in our food system and the positive and negative effects of them can never be studied too much since science and technology are always changing. Each food is different and will have different health effects such as toxicity, nutrition, and allergens and environmental effects such as biodiversity and cross contamination.


The NY Times article describes how an orange farmer deals with a disease that makes oranges sour and half green. Money was lost due to less juice production, jobs were lost, and money was spent to find a biotechnological way to combat the disease and grow “healthy” oranges. DNA from 2 vegetables, a virus, a pig, and a synthetic gene were considered for testing and a gene for spinach was selected because it had the best results. Upon EPA and FDA test results and approvals, these GMO oranges will be harvested for juice.

With the recent protests against Monsanto and awareness of GMOs, I do not think this GMO orange juice will have a high acceptance rate from the general public because GMO products are perceived as “bad or unhealthy” from my experience and the people I interact with. For example, GMOs destroy the ecosystem and can cause negative health effects. However, there are people that believe the benefits of GMOs in the food systems outweigh the negative consequences and are necessary to survive because they provide a steady food supply and are equally nutritious.

Personally, with the research and reading I have done about GMOs, I think there's a time and place for everything. I believe there are instances where the pros outweigh the cons such as providing nutritious foods in underdeveloped countries. And other times the cons outweigh the pros when plants or organisms become resistant or immune and causes an imbalance in the ecosystem which negatively affects the environment.

Whole Foods is taking an initiative to allow consumers to choose what they want to purchase based on selling non-GMO foods and I fully support this notion. Petitions and legislation are trying to pass laws to require companies to label GM foods because currently companies may do so voluntarily. I support the labeling of GMOs in the United States. There are over 60 other countries (including France) that require such labeling but the United States does not. I believe Americans should have the right to know how their food was grown just like they have the right to know the nutritional facts. In addition, I think there is benefit for GMO in the food supply of underdeveloped countries in which nutrient deficiencies are prevalent.

Pictures:

https://www.realfoodgirlunmodified.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GMOs.gif

http://www.askrogerdrummer.com/healingherbs/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/GMO-Orange_Featured.JPG

Bienvenue!

Welcome to our 2015 blog for AGBM/INTAG 470A & B "Comparing Agricultural and Food Systems in the United States and France." Every week students will be blogging about interesting topics such as food security, organic agriculture, and many more! Following in May, students and faculty will be travelling to Paris, France for two weeks of hands-on learning through the AgroParis Tech summer program.