Can't GMOs and Organics Just Get Along?

by Jessie Cacciola, Posted Jan 5th 2011 @ 3:00PM

organic food crops Photo: kumasawa, Flickr

In the bubbling debate between genetically modified foods and organic ones, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack reportedly called for a truce in an open letter released just before the clocks struck 2011. Agricultural resolution? Not so easy, Tom.

"Complexity surrounds American agriculture today," he begins. True. By the end of 2010, federal courts had barred use of Monsanto's Roundup Ready alfalfa, even though planting continued while the USDA kept working on its Environmental Impact Statement [EIS] on the genetically engineered (GE) crop, which it completed two weeks prior to Vilsack's letter. A federal court in San Francisco ordered removal of a test plot of GE sugar beets. And the Food and Drug Administration remained indecisive over approval of GE salmon, the would-be first genetically engineered animal, which may or may not be labeled.

Vilsack doesn't appear to be pro or con for either but believes the two can cohabit. "As a regulatory agency, sound science and decisions based on this science are our priority, and science strongly supports the safety of GE alfalfa," he writes.

All you pro-organics who just felt a scrunch in your brow, follow this next line: "But agricultural issues are always complex and rarely lend themselves to simple solutions. Therefore, we have an obligation to carefully consider USDA's 2,300-page EIS, which acknowledges the potential of cross-fertilization to non-GE alfalfa."

A non-GE farmer can hope.

Filed Under: Food Politics
Tags: beets, fda, featured, GE, genetically modified, GMO, monsanto, organic, salmon, Tom Vilsack, USDA

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-06-2011 @7:24PM Steven Ruza said... for real.. - Steven Ruza
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1-06-2011 @4:19PM Sally G said... A truce would be nice, but we would need to eliminate the likeliehood of pollen being spread by the wind, or of fish from escaping from farms, etc. I am glad that Sec'y. Vilsack realizes the complexity; I hope that everyone looks at the science and practicalities first, before staking out an ideological position. Personally, I am strongly anti-GMO, primarily because there are so many concerns that have not been well studied yet. Let's be sure that we know what we are doing before we uncap the bottle any further; while we have been eating GMOs since 1996, allergies and autoimmune diseases have gone haywire--I'd like to see some good studies on the possible causes to be sure that GMOs are not culprits before going further. If that and other public-health and environmental-safety concerns can be addressed, then fine--but not until then.
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1-10-2011 @10:12PM KJ said... Apparently no one has heard of the medical researcher somewhere on the East Coast, who wanted to discover if the Roundup Ready DNA could transfer to human gut bacteria, which produce vitamin K , immunity factors, etc. He recruited 30 volunteers to eat a special GMO meal. Unfortunately, his experiment was a failure: pretesting showed all his test subjects were already contaminated with bacteria containing Roundup Ready DNA proving that it can transfer inter-species. Or the creek in Indiana that was downstream from a GMO cornfield with all creek organisms that were tested, both plants and animals, showing GMO contamination. Who knows what the complications might be for humans? Animals (chickens, hogs, and cattle), given a choice between GMO corn and non- GMO corn would not eat the GMO corn. This last experiment was conducted in several countries using different breeds of test animals. In the USA, companies are not required to label food made with GMO ingredients. So eat organic. The FDA is not doing its job of keeping our food safe. The FDA seems to be like our Congress---bought and paid for.
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1-23-2011 @3:59PM Sandi Wood said... I agree with AJ. The FDA is bought and paid for. I buy organic because I don't believe GMO is safe for human or animal consumption. We need to keep protesting products made with GMO through our representatives in Washington, at the grocery store, and finally in the pocketbook, by not buying products made with GMO. Only when enough consumers speak loud enough, will Monsanto and the FDA pay attention.