My Tentative Position on Food:

Are organic foods healthier than genetically modified foods?

Substantiation:

• What does the term “organic” mean?
• What is the difference between organic foods and genetically engineered foods?
• What does an organic farmer do differently from that of a farmer who genetically engineers his or her crops?
• What are the criteria that organic foods must be to be labeled “organic”?

Evaluation:

• Are organic products properly labeled on super market shelves?
• Are genetically modified foods labeled if they contain GMOs?
• Does an organic farmer spend more to produce his/her crops compared to a farmer who genetically modifies his/her crops?

Policy:

• How does the government regulate what can be considered organic?
• Do organic farmers receive the same amount of money in subsidies as other farmers?
• Can the government put forth regulations on the GMOs that are used in order to encourage crop growing without the use of pesticides, and chemical fertilizers?

Tentative Position:

This year, an estimated 65 million acres worldwide were planted using transgenic seeds, which the government claims produces crops that are just as healthy as organic crops produced through hybridization.  However, these crops are not only genetically modified to supposedly increase yield and biodiversity but they are maintained through the use of harsh pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The use of chemicals that are transferred into the crops that end up on our super market shelves is a clear indication that we ingest them once we decide to eat them. In order to prevent the contamination of our food, we must turn to organic foods that are created from crops that do not come into contact with harsh chemicals that could potentially harm us.

More Information:

CQ Researcher:

Food Safety Battle: Organic Vs. Biotech

Will Organic-Farming Survive? (excerpt)

By Kathy Koch

“Our growth is led by consumer concern about pesticides and their impact on human health and the environment,” Kahn says.

“Many people have blind faith that the government will protect them,” says Margaret Wittenberg, a public relations executive at Whole Foods supermarkets. “Our customers don't generally feel that way.”

Indeed, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released proposed labeling standards for organic foods in December, 280,000 angry cards, letters and E-mails flooded the agency -- including letters from 255 members of Congress.

Although organic food proponents found more than 60 weaknesses in the proposed standards, concern focused on whether the coveted “certified organic” label should include genetically engineered foods or those irradiated or fertilized with sewage sludge.

Many organic food advocates say the furor over organic labeling is small potatoes compared with the changes in global food production being fostered by giant agricultural biotechnology firms.

The impact of genetically engineered foods*, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), on world agriculture “will make the Industrial Revolution pale by comparison,” said Austen Cargill, the top scientist at Minneapolis-based Cargill Inc., the giant grain and processing company. 

The question is whether the resulting changes will be good or bad for farmers, consumers and global biodiversity -- and how they will affect organic farming.

My Response: The article mentions the mislabeling of organic products due to a faulty set of criteria utilized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This reflects the need for more governmental policy and regulation of organic foods. Scientists such as Austen Cargill who were mentioned in the article have expressed concern over the impact of genetically engineered foods (or GMOs) because of the harm they cause in humans. Yet, despite all of the warnings that many experts and professionals have given, the government still chooses to allot subsidies to farmers who continue to use GMOs to produce their crops.