Recently, it seems that a lot of the conversations I am having with producers and also consumers is all about labels.
Labeling on GMO’s specifically. Or Genetically Modified Organisms. Really, it’s just a bunch of Biotechnology.
California tried to pass this law last year and it failed miserably. Not because it was a horrible idea, for the simple reason it wasn’t well thought out.
Here’s the truth.
If we were to label every item that contained GMO’s you may be surprised to see that there are quite a bit of products with GMO’s used in them. Does that tell you if they are good or bad? No, not necessarily.
Honestly, it might even be more confusing than anything.
Every time a label gets slapped on something it makes for more to read, more to know, more to understand. And if we have to take the time and money to put a label on then something must not be right with the ingredients…right?
I am not opposed to GMO labeling, but here is what you need to know to know about GMO’s.
However, I am opposed to lack of understanding when it comes to biotechnology and what it entails to actually get a GMO on the market. It takes some serious time and some serious money to get one biotechnology trait approved. And the truth is we have been safely eating foods that have been produced with biotechnology for over three decades
Because of biotechnology American farmers produce 40% of the world’s corn on only 20% of the world’s harvested acres.
And because of that we have one of the most affordable food supplies in the world. And GMO labeling may cause an increase in price within the food system, depending on what the labeling will entail. And here’s a question, if it isn’t GMO what else goes into the production? Should that also be on the label?
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Remember I am not opposed to GMO labeling. But, I am worried about going to the grocery store and seeing more and more people confused over the vast amount of labels on one package of chicken.
If you have questions about GMOs, ask them. The answers are out there. And I am willing to help you find them and will most likely learn something along the way myself!
I am a part of a pretty diverse industry. There are quite a few options when it comes to growing food. People do things a lot of different ways. Knowledge is valuable and the only thing that will make me happy about the food that I eat is knowing about it, not just sticking a label on it.
The problems with GMO’s (and I farm too) is that the only tests ever done on them have been done by or backed by the very companies that created them, so what does that say? GMOs are also partly responsible for 15 times more chemical being used and the emergence of super weeds and super insects resistant to current chemical. So now they are are trying to push for 2-4-D resistant corn, 2-4-D is one of the main components to agent orange. Now, I also work in healthcare and to say we have been “safely” eating all this GMO food is a large overstatement, the increase of cancers and other diseases in the last 3 decades is increasing by leaps and bounds. 60 countries around the world either have bans or tight restrictions on GMO use. So they are all wrong are we are the only ones right? Doubtful, big government, big chemical and big grocer have a long reach. Everything we do today has a direct impact on our children’s world. Considering the Round up isn’t working anymore, what happens when the 2-4-D stops working? Stronger, harsher chemical? Like in medicine with super bugs, what happens when you run out of antibiotics that work? People die. I would suggest instead of worrying about labels in stores, the worry should be about developing sustainable farming practices that will work well beyond 3 decades out. We can hope technology catches up and finds a way to replace the clean water we polluted with chemical, or replace the oxygen we destroyed by cutting down every last tree to farm, or populate the land. But don’t get your hopes up. Plant gardens, not lawns. Good Bless. South Dakota farm wife.
Hi Kimberly! Thanks a ton for commenting and I profusely apologize for not responding immediately. Our life is a bit consumed right now with our daughter being really sick!
I think the best way to address everything is just to go through and respond to each one..I don’t know if it says anything about those companies in a negative light. I like that they are doing plenty of research to back those genes. And they aren’t the only ones that are doing those studies, but yes those are the most prominent and most common studies. Because of their big names they get the most lime light. For example a few months back I attended a one day seminar in St. Louis at the Danforth Science Center and talked to some of the top people in the food industry and had the opportunity to tour their facility. It really was amazing and the research they are doing is valuable. Because of it they are working on developing genes in plants that can allow those plants to grow in countries where it normally can’t because of climate conditions. They aren’t just feeding the world by giving them food they are feeding the world by developing something they can in turn themselves grow and feed their families. I think what intrigues me so much about GMO research is that one trait spends 13 to 15 years being studied before it is ever released. That is a really, really long time. And as you know since you farm, it’s our choice as farmers whether or not we want to grow a GM crop. If I remember correctly from past research there is currently no connection between cancers and other diseases and GMO’s, so is it fair to blame them? I think that overall as a society in the last 3 decades we have changed drastically and we can diagnose things much easier and typically faster. I can’t speak on too much in the health care industry but I do believe that some things have gotten “worse” to some (such as early puberty or obesity) not because of GMO’s but because of the developments of society as a whole. We are living longer lives and we treat diseases and cancers much faster from what I can assume is only because of medical advancement and the ease of living now. I don’t know what will happen if the 2-4-D stops working, but I do know that day is a bit scary to think of. I can’t imagine having to pull/cultivate the weeds and the manpower it would take to eliminate pests without the advancements of the technology we have in the Ag industry. It’s almost like going back three decades ago….and three decades ago farmers farmed for themselves. Not to feed the world.
I agree with you wholeheartedly that instead of worrying about labels we should be focused on sustainable practices. And on our farm that is a top focus for us. My husband and I believe in farming for the future and that includes having sustainable practices. I don’t know about cutting down trees to farm, but I know run off from chemical is something that all farmers take seriously. Something we all want to avoid. And in terms of population. The world is at 7 billion and will only continue to grow. With that many people land will be needed for living space and with GMO’s we can grow more on less…something that I believe will be vital in the near future.
And I love my garden…and would definitely prefer not to have to mow the lawn!
Hope you are having a fabulous week Kimberly!