conventional vs organic vs GMO

Over the past 15 years the term organic has grown in leaps and bounds creating curiosity and more consciously aware shoppers. When it comes right down to it, is organic better? What does conventionally grown and GMO mean anyway? For some it’s a matter of affordability, for others it means healthy versus unhealthy, but chemically what’s the real skinny?

Conventional foods are grown using synthetic chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides, these chemicals then get absorbed into the soil and cannot be removed. The purpose for conventional farming is to mass produce, it allows for out of season growing, and creates a longer shelf life. This type of farming uses monoculture. This means crops are often planted over and over in the same place which leads to more insect infestation and disease, and depletes the soil of nutrients which then leads to more fertilizer use. This endless cycle often leads to massive topsoil erosion. It is also argued that conventionally grown foods are tasteless do all the chemical treating.

Ever heard of Monsanto? And what does GMO mean? Monsanto is the world’s largest GMO producer and distributor and GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. These are foods that have been altered at the gene level and treated with antibiotics and hormones. In short, the food source is being created in a laboratory by splicing genes from one species into those of an entirely different species. This includes animals bred from test tubes. This method is not to better the food supply, but rather to make it more resistant to chemicals and last longer. The Center for Food Safety headquartered in Washington, D.C., estimates that 70-75% of all grocery store products contain at least one genetically modified ingredient. Every American has consumed a genetically modified product whether they knew or not.

Organic foods are free of synthetic chemicals, are grown in nutrient rich soil and are not treated with pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Organically raised farm animals are free of antibiotics, added hormones; not GMO fed and other drugs. These animals are not allowed to have their genes modified; they are raised in healthier environments, organically fed, and often eat a wider range of nutrients than animals in factory farms. Organically raised animals are not bred from a test tube.