GMO Farming, Healthy and Smart

I get this question a lot. Do you eat GMO foods? Absolutely I do and so does my family.  A local farmer talks to me about why he plants GMO seeds. 

What are GMO foods?

• The World Health Organization defines genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, including between nonrelated species. Such methods are used to create GMO plants – which result in GMO food crops. This technology is called biotechnology.
• Farmers and gardeners have been creating plant hybrids for as long as they’ve been growing plants. Biotechnology simply serves as a more technologically advanced method.
• USDA says that while particular biotech traits may be new to certain crops, the same basic types of traits are often found naturally in plants and allow them to survive and evolve.

What do we know about GMO food safety?

• Every plant improved through the use of food biotechnology is examined by the FDA and EPA for potential health risks. Tests are done on plants before entering the food and animal feed supply. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that current foods containing biotech ingredients have passed human health risk assessments. In addition, the WHO says no effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of biotech foods.

·         The following organizations have studied the issue and say genetic engineering is safe:

o   The National Research Council of the US National Academies of Science

o   Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

o   The United Nationals Food and Agriculture Organization

o   The World Health Organization

o   The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

o   The American Medical Association

o   The American Dietetic Association

o   The Council on Agriculture Science and British Medical Association

o   The European Commission

o   Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

 

Have more questions about GMO's? check out www.findourcommonground.com

Campbell's Cans and Parkers Puppies

Raising kids is not easy task. Just when you think you have it down pat, they go and pull the wool over your eyes. Raising a little lady and a rough and tough boy are completely opposite. We have great days and some not great days. Just when you think you have raised little monsters, you see a glimmer of what you thought you have been teaching them all along when they go and do something so thoughtful.

We have tried to make sure our kids are very aware of where their food comes from and provide them with many hands-on experiences, even at their young ages of 6 and 4. The kids enjoy gardening and even trips to the local food pantry delivering their produce for those less fortunate than us. As a mom I deal with food every day. We raise food, sell food and cook with food. Campbell and Parker know where food comes from, but I also want them to value what an abundant food supply we are blessed to have. We raise food and what we do not raise we have the means to go to the grocery and buy what we would like to eat. If we want to have turkey burgers for dinner we put it on the grocery list (which I never remember to take with me) and next trip get turkey burgers.

A friend (Kara McCarthy) posted something online that really made me think with the upcoming holidays rapidly approaching. She raised the question “Have you ever been so hungry that you could not sleep?” I have said many times I am starving and I listen to the kids say how hungry or thirsty they are about 5 times a day. I cannot recall ever being so hungry I could not sleep. I am grateful that I have not had that hunger and I never want my children to experience that either, but I know it is out there. While we are blessed with a roof over our heads and a freezer and pantry full of healthful foods, there are many who do not have that luxury.

While some of us are worrying about eating non-GM crops or Organic foods, there are some who just want food. I heard a great quote on a recent trip from a biotech researcher: “I want a 'What will we have for dinner?' society, not a 'Will we have dinner?' society.” By doing research and involving GM crops as a part of becoming a more sustainable country, I truly believe we can work towards eliminating hunger, be more naturally resourceful and provide a safe food for our families and food for our animals.

We talked  with our kids about other little children who truly experience real hunger. The kids came up with the idea that we would challenge our friends and family to donate and volunteer at a local pantry, shelter or find a family in need for the months of  November and December.

Campbell loves to cook so she will be donating to the food pantry and Parker loves his puppies so he will be donating to the local animal shelter.

Many already make donations or volunteer. If you do not already do so, think about involving your children, family and friends and give back to those who need it.

Know GMOs

What do you think when you hear GMO? According to a recent survey of over 1,000 moms, nearly half – 43 percent – of those surveyed believe that GMO food is nutritionally and chemically different than non-GMO food.

The World Health Organization defines genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another. Such methods are used to create GMO plants – which result in GMO food crops. This technology is called biotechnology. 

U.S. commercially grown genetically modified crops include corn, soybean, cotton, canola, sugar beets, papaya, squash, and alfalfa. In addition, small amounts of GE tomatoes and sweet peppers are grown in China. In terms of our diets, Most of the GM crops that are consumed for food are used in making processed food ingredients included in cereals, soy cooking oil (vegetable oil) and other types of processed food products that contain soy or corn ingredients. In other words, if you see corn or soy ingredients included on the food label, chances are the product was partially made with GM-crop ingredients.

Farmers and gardeners have been creating plant hybrids for as long as they’ve been growing plants. Biotechnology simply serves as a more technologically advanced or controlled method. USDA says that, while particular biotech traits may be new to certain crops, the same basic types of traits are often found naturally in plants and allow them to survive and evolve. This is really nothing new, we are just able to use the traits that can help us to have a more successful harvest.

The soybeans have a herbicide resistant gene in them that was derived from bacteria and corn has Bt genes that allow it to resist pests along with the resistance to herbicides. Bt is a naturally occurring plant pesticide found in other plants and is approved for use in organic agricultural production.

The use of these crops greatly reduces the amount of insecticide required to control the corn borer and the corn rootworm and also allows for improved weed control with reduced herbicide use. This allows farmers to produce more with less, a vital progression as we move forward with the need to feed a growing world population.

We want what is best for our families and I am the first to say you should have questions and concerns about your food.

All GMO foods are exhaustively assessed for safety by groups like the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  In the almost 20 years that modern biotech crops have been commercially grown, there has not been a single documented case of an ecosystem disrupted or a person made ill.  GMO foods are nutritionally and chemically identical to food grown from non-biotech crops.

And, ultimately, GM crops can help to provide an increasingly important role in maximizing global land use, addressing world hunger, nutrition deficiencies and poverty issues and reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint.