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In reply to the discussion: The USDA's new labeling for genetically modified foods goes into effect Jan. 1. [View all]Tumbulu
(6,300 posts)It remains a minor industry compared to conventional.
The figures provided by the Organic Trade Association also includes all of the products produced from the organic crops.
The farmers products represent a small percentage of the final value.
Labeling of Organic Ag products allowed those of us who spend so much more on organic forms of nitrogen and other important inputs to have our customers support these extra expenses and risks with their purchases.
We did this on our own and despite the conventional ag industry fighting many of us along the way.
Blaming organic farmers for creating the concern over genetically modified crops when the entire scientific communities fell into disputes over it in the 90s pitting the ag scientists in the US against those in the EU and Japan is just another iteration of the seemingly endless assault.
The objection remains concerns with releasing engineered organisms out into the environment without a system in place that would assess the environmental impact. Since once released, they cannot be called back. Which is utterly different from organisms engineered for use in the pharmaceutical industry.
The scientists involved in genetically engineering plants seem to focus on the safety of the insertions and their expression to human/ mammalian health. But without the sort of investigations of soil microbiome impacts, and other non target effects, the organic community steered clear. As did European and Japanese agricultural regulators.
I suppose with conventional ag, the soil microbiome is just not very important. For organic ag, it is critical. As that is the entire reason we begin with organic sources of nitrogen, rather than synthesized. The chemically synthesized forms of nitrogen, although 10x lower in cost, at least, disrupt the soil microbiome.
It was this finding, way back a century ago, which created the impetus to start the organic farming movement in the first place.