Tag Archives: Genetically modified organism

GMO Activists March Against Monsanto – Farmers’ Perspective


What’s that you say? There’s a rally on Market Square today? What’s the cause? Oh, they are marching against GMO foods…

march against monsanto gmo food biotechnology

Image via March Against Monsanto

Today, Saturday, May 25, thousands of people across the globe are organizing a March Against Monsanto. The group claims in a mission statement that GMO foods are not sustainable and cause harm through increased risk of cancers, infertility, and birth defects. The group believes that chemicals produced by Monsanto, like glyphosphate (Roundup), are poisoning our environment. This group strongly dislikes government and FDA support and approval of GMO foods and the recent, as they call it, Monsanto Protection Act. This groups wants to unveil the truth about GMOs, boycott Monsanto, and increase research on the harm caused by consuming GMO foods. You can read more about the desires of this event on the March Against Monsanto page. I’ve included the links to the MAM page, because you’ll find it through an easy google search and we might as well learn what everyone has to say about it.

I think that it is great that we have the freedom of speech and choice in this country. But at the same time I believe that activists rallying against Monsanto would be  better off to direct their attention to better efforts. Monsanto is a company that has responded to the demands of consumer markets. They are one of many companies supplying seeds through the use of biotechnology to help farmers produce more crops with fewer inputs and have a smaller impact on the environment per unit produced.

If these concerned folks really want to make a stronger impact against GMO, there are a few more productive steps that could be taken: stop purchasing food and products from organizations that do not support your beliefs, support local food sources, grow your own food, and take time to have an open mind and respect others’ choices. Most of us could benefit from doing a little more research and hear out both sides of the issues. There’s good science and there’s bad science, we need to learn how to identify both.

What do farmers and agriculture have to say on the issue? Here is a run-down of a few topics and several perspectives that have been shared with me this week. I trust these individuals for information and I hope you’ll take time to hear out their $0.02.

What is a GMO?

Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMO, are foods or plants created with the use of biotechnology. Janice Person has a great discussion and explanation of GMOs on her blog that is well worth a read. Her blog also points out a definition of GMO from the USDA Agriculture Research Service.

The term “genetically modified organism” (GMO) was originally used by the molecular biology scientific community to denote a living organism that had been genetically modified by inserting a gene from an unrelated species. Incorporation of genes from an unrelated species does not occur in nature through sexual reproduction and thus, various types of sophisticated technologies are used to accomplish this. These types of plants are generally called “transgenics”. Transgenic technology has been used in over 40 species of plants including corn, cotton, tomatoes, potatoes, soybeans, tobacco, rice, cranberries, papayas, raspberries, chrysanthemums, gladioli, petunias, poplars, spruce, and walnuts. In crop plants, the technology has generally been used to incorporate insect resistance or herbicide tolerance. More recently, transgenic rice strains having high vitamin A or high iron content have been developed. In the future, transgenic plants may be used as “bioreactors” to produce large quantities of inexpensive pharmaceuticals, polymers, industrial enzymes, as well as modified oils, starches, and proteins. via ARS : What are GMO’S?.

gmo food biotechnology mark lynas

Image via Through the Lens of a Farm Girl


Do farmers have a choice to plant GMO crops?

Quite simply, yes they do have a choice whether or not to plant GMO crops. No one is railroading these farmers or forcing them to plant only GMO seeds. Farmers take into consideration several factors and spend time studying on which seeds they want to plant. Thanks to biotechnology, there are many varieties of seeds out there that help farmers produce a better crop despite harsh conditions from drought, pest invasion, and weed competition.

  • Jenny Dewey, South Dakota, takes a look at several of the factors farmers take into account when choosing the seed varieties for their next crop. Read more in Do Farmers Have Choices?
  • Brian Scott, Indiana, has actually taken time to share his Monsanto cropping agreement with readers and explains how it impacts his farming decisions. Read more in I Occupy Our Food Supply Everyday.
  • Suzie Wilde, Texas, walks us through some of the decisions and choices her husband makes when selecting the next year’s cotton seed varieties. Read more in Hybrid & GMO Cottonseed Varieties leading the polls.

Does the use of GMO crops reduce chemical use for farmers?

A concern for many people is the sustainability of our environment with the use of current farming systems. Personally, I think the word sustainable is overused and often taken out of context. For farmers, sustainability of their environment often means maintaining their environment and leaving it in better shape than they found it for the next generation. The use of biotechnology and GMO seeds actually allows farmers to use fewer chemicals with more precise application to prevent weed and pest competition with their plants. These technologies also allow farmers to take better advantage of soil conservation and water conservation practices.

  • Oregon blogger, Julee K, recently asked Suzie Wilde of Texas to share about her use of gmo cotton. Turns out the use of bt cotton crops has allow the Wildes’ farm to significantly reduce the use of pesticides on their farm. Read more in Kiss The Boll Worm Goodbye!
  • Farmer Brian Scott answers the questions about glyphosphate (Roundup) use on his farm. He explains how herbicides are used on corn and wheat crops in Long-Term Glyphosate Use Effect on Wheat

What do farmers have to say about the safety of using GMO crops?

I believe that using GMO foods is safe. There have been several stories released about scientific studies showing increased risk of infertility and cancers in mice and humans, but several of these are poorly executed science. As a person working in research, there are several things to look for in good peer-reviewed science. Was the experiment large enough to show a difference? Was there a control to compare what is normal under those circumstances? Was the study designed properly to show a statistical difference?

Many folks with the anti-gmo movements claim that biotechnology hasn’t been around long enough to really know about the potential long-term effects to determine if they are safe. But they haven’t been around long enough to say they are dangerous either. I have no concern in eating gmo foods. I have no concern in feeding my livestock GMO corn and then eating that meat, milk, etc. Neither do many of the farmers I talk to.

Here is a group of Q&As from farmers about the safety and use of GMOs that have been shared with me recently.

gmo corn farmers sustainability

Image via Through the Lens of a Farm Girl


How does Monsanto feel about anti-GMO activism?

So how does the company in the center of this controversy feel about the issues? I know several folks to have or do work for Monsanto either as scientists or by working directly with farmers. They really are great people, a joy to be around, and they love their jobs. They’re not of the opinion that they work for the ‘devil’ as some folks propose and they don’t go to work with the intentions of taking over the global food supply by force as some fear mongers want us to believe. Monsanto is one of many companies working to help farmers improve the tools in their belt to better handle the challenges we face when growing food, crops, livestock, and many other things that feed a growing global food supply.

  • BlogHer blogger and mom, Aimee Whetstine, recently asked several Monsanto female employees how they feel working for the company. Read more in Listening to the Women of Monsanto.
  • A recent article from the Genetic Literacy Projects, encourages readers to take a closer look at the Monsanto Protection Act. Read more in Separating the facts from the fury.
  • What do Monsanto employees stand for and what do they want to achieve? The Monsanto blog addresses these questions and shares several links in a post today. Read more in What Monsanto Employees Stand For.

I have yet to ever plant my first gmo crop seed, but I do trust the farmers, their experience, and the knowledge shared in the links above. I don’t want to stand on a pedestal today and tell you what you should or shouldn’t eat. I am 100% in support of food choices and I am stoked that Farmers’ Market season is here and that I have the opportunity to gather a huge assortment of fresh meats and vegetables right outside my office every Wednesday.

If you want to make a choice to not support genetically modified organisms or biotechnology, that is your choice. But please make that an informed choice, based on good science, and realize there are two sides to every story and often the extremes on either side are the most vocal in the spotlight.

Updated: Additional Perspectives and Information

Food Perspectives – Take some personal responsibility


I walk into a local burger joint, place my order, and wait on my food. My plate is served and in front of me is a burger. I see a patty of ground beef, two slices of bacon, swiss cheese, pickles, lettuce, grilled onions, and mushrooms with a side of broccoli and cheese. Not everyone’s burger looks the same. What do you see on your plate?

Some folks imagine their burger looks like this…

food policy hamburgerI didn’t see those ingredients on the menu. Where did the bleach, ammonia, and sodium benzoate come from? Filler. “Cheese?” “Fresh.” What are those things supposed to mean? Not everyone has the same perspective on the food we eat.

The image above is from a Food Policy meeting I attended on campus last year. I had been talking about food education online for a few years, but needed to take more physical steps to educate myself on the opinions’ of folks on the other side of the table. I haven’t had the schedule to be able to attend meetings as often I had hoped, but it was still an eye-opening experience. This group of folks is dead set on having organic, local, natural foods brought to campus and honestly are not that engaging when it comes time for my questions.

There are groups of Americans who have lost faith, trust, and belief in our modern food systems. Many are skeptical about most things they hear and want to return to the good old days of ‘natural’ food. It’s a nostalgic perspective of times that likely weren’t as good as they seem. We are all guilty of grasping at story lines we want to be true. Sometimes it’s a matter of whether we decide to apply common sense or do a little investigation for ourselves.

The internet is a scary place. We can look up information on most any topic, most of which lacks validation for truth prior to posting. We have been let down so many times by false information, it’s human nature to cast a skeptical eye on what we’ve been told. Unfortunately, many do not take time to validate those facts, hoping that surely it must be true, and often times we can end up grasping at “bad science” to promote our beliefs. Sometimes folks want something to be true so badly, they will lash-out aggressively at others who are doing differently. Others literally block all those with opposing views. The internet seems to remove that filter on our comments the ability of civil conversations.

Should we take the news and media a reliable source of information? Surely, the media wouldn’t be biased in their coverage. Wait, do you remember the 2012 Election? Fox News wasn’t the only offender. Leaders within ABC News recently admitted they have portrayed news “in a slightly inaccurate way.” Should that statement expand beyond politics, maybe to their coverage of food and agriculture headlines like ‘pink slime’? Those lawsuits are still on-going.

Back to the image above. How should we learn more about what is really in our food? Should farmers alone be the authority? I grew up on a ranch and have spent the last several years of my life traveling the country and studying more about livestock production. But don’t take my word for it! According to the comments on my CNN articles, I am just a sell-out, a shill of corporate agriculture.

To be honest, I can’t say that I’m excited about the extent to which highly processed foods take over the shelves in our grocery stores, but it’s my own personal responsibility to make my food choices. It’s my dollar that chooses which food goes on my plate. Farmers really shouldn’t be the ones to blame; they are the ones making the raw materials. The food markets, cash flow and government regulation are the driver of food processing. *Keep in mind, not all processing is bad. Some is for our food safety from naturally occurring germs.*

I read an article last month that claimed more folks die each day from obesity than undernourishment. Food and health is a matter of personal responsibility, not a blame game to be played at the expense of some news ratings.

I can’t tell you where to get credible information about your food sources. Farmers are a piece of that puzzle, but not the entire pie. If you have lost faith in those individuals, I can’t tell you where to turn, because sound, reviewed science probably doesn’t do it for you either.

don't believe what is on the internetAnd finally, please stop posting all of those memes and Facebook photos claiming the latest cure-all or home remedy. More often than not, someone was just bored and looking for attention.

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I Occupy Our Food Supply Everyday

Reblogged from The Farmer's Life:

Click to visit the original post

Today is the day.  The Occupy movement is going to occupy the food supply.  According to the occupiers and Farm Aid president Willie Nelson large corporations have too much control over our food.  I won't deny that there has been a lot of consolidation in the food and seed markets over the years, but that seems pretty common and big does not equal bad as some occupiers would have you think.

Read more… 1,633 more words

If you're concerned about genetically modified organisms (GMO) and the farmers that grow these crops, this post from my friend, Brian Scott, is worth the read. Today Wordpress' Freshly Pressed blog featured this post where Brian discusses his use of GM crops and how he works with the technology and Monsanto. Brian even includes a PDF of his 2011 Monsanto Agreement. Definitely worth a read if you want to learn more about GMOs from a Farmer's point of view.

Farmers quit hating on your neighbor!


Photo Credit: environmentalgeography

Instilling fear in your customer at the expense of your neighbor is weak marketing, it’s wrong, and does no good for the community as a whole. It leads to the spread of misinformation, lies, and a general belief in this misinformation as fact by those who fail to do their research. Then, when concerned individuals try to share another side to the story, they are assumed to be spreading propaganda and lies. We’re left in a heap of a mess because no one knows who to believe anymore.

I don’t care if you think GMO‘s from Monsanto are the devil, it doesn’t make you the bigger person for saying so just to line your pocketbook. I don’t care if you think small-scale organic farming has no place in feeding the world, you shouldn’t bash them because they are responding to customer demand. If you can’t market your own product without cutting your neighbor off at the knees for their farming practices, you should reevaluate your business plan.

See a more extensive conversation about this topic between a variety of farmers on this Facebook post.

Yeah! Exactly what Agriculture should be doing to market our niche products! Let’s put up images to scare people away from another farmer’s foods because apparently we hate our own neighbors!
*note the heavy sarcasm in the above statement* Dividing is not conquering when we’re instilling fear into our customer about food. Farmers need to quit this.

Each and every style of farming has its place, has developed as a result of customer demand, and plays its role in feeding the world (whether that be local or global scale). We’re cutting our own selves off at the knees by dividing our selves in the public eye. Food and animal rights activists love to see this happen because it makes our community weaker.

I’ve been told time and again that organic farming doesn’t have a place. Well, it certainly does for those who believe it has value to them.

We’re in the same business together – providing food for our customers and fuel and fiber products for the world. It’s high time we learn exactly how stubborn we are, step out of the trenches, and realize this. I’m not asking for everyone to hold hands and sing hymns, just quit bashing your neighbor.

Customers don’t know who to turn to for food information. Book authors, Daytime talk shows, and mainstream media have become trusted sources for food information because they are selling sensational, exciting stories – regardless of scientific investigation or background research.

When a farmer like myself steps up to share my story, I’m faced with criticism for selling propaganda for the likes of Monsanto or the Beef industry because my story isn’t as sexy as what was just on television. Yes, I believe farmers, ranchers, and those working in Agriculture are the best to share the story because they are the ones on the ground witnessing what goes on. At the same time, those concerns raised are legitimate and we need to take a look at how/if we can address them.

I do not see how agriculture will make any real progress with gaining customer trust until we own up to our own mistakes. There are always improvements to be made with modern techniques, that’s why learning is a life-long process.

I am guilty of this myself, and it’s a learning process for all. But that doesn’t mean we can’t change for the better.

We speak of heritage and strength of community within Agriculture, it’s time we really back up those statements. Embrace the fact that there is more than one way of doing things, including farming and food production. If you don’t agree with something, embrace the ability to choose and stick your money with the products your support. Have an open mind and spend time listening to those with whom you disagree. I promise you’ll learn something.

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