Randy Staehle |Difference between GMOs and organic food
An organic food survey from 2021 proved that almost 70% of Americans believe that fruits, vegetables, and other stables of the food pyramid are of better quality and far healthier when grown by conventional means. In other words, from farm to table without the need for artificial processes, chemicals, or genetic manipulation. One hundred percent pure, like Mother Nature intended it. That’s almost 3/4 of the populace, a huge demographic — nonetheless, as of that same year, only 5.8% of what we find in the market is actually organic. Let’s do a deep dive on what exactly is organic food, how it can benefit our bodies, and what the future holds for this throwback from the past.
What is organic food?
In a nutshell, it is a pesticide-free plucked straight from the soil nutshell, or off the branch food. Organic foods are edible goods that are grown without synthetic chemicals or genetically modified tweaks — that includes pesticides and fertilizers that could be in the long run toxic.
What about genetics — what are mutant foods?
Genetically modified organisms or GMOs are organisms who’s very building blocks, their DNA, has been modified in a laboratory. This is done to improve or remove a physiological trait. Squash, potatoes, soybean, corn, and hundreds of other foods - including beef products - are mostly GMOs. To the point that nowadays they are considered “conventional foods.” Why? For multiple reasons.
GMO products are more resistant to natural phenomena. They can withstand drier seasons, floods, and pests. They are far easier to farm than their organic counterparts — and that’s just one of the many reasons why GMOs have such a huge hold over the market. By being easier to produce, they are also cheaper to distribute, and oftentimes that cost is transferred - in a beneficial way - to the consumer.
There are no two ways about it, GMOs and chemical-grown foods are more affordable than organic. That’s just a sad fact of life.
Are GMOs bad for you?
The truth is that studies are still on the fence. GMOs are incredibly controversial. This is because not only are they relatively new, at such a vast level, but they are constantly being tweaked or manipulated. What does that mean? That today’s generation of GMOs in hindsight will have few things in common with what science churns out tomorrow — present studies are based on what we are producing now, not what we will produce in the future.
The American Medical Association, after extensive research, determined that GMOs are, simply put, “OK.”
Meanwhile, the Center for Food And Safety, determined that some GMOs have “unexpected effects.” Like, toxicity, allergic reactions, antibiotic resistance, immune suppression, cancer, loss of nutrition, etc.
Both sides of the aisle are a bit weary when it comes to a verdict. Not enough time has passed since the widespread acceptance of GMOs to actually determine their effect on the populace.
GMOs or organic?
The one thing, and the main reason why we created Organic Girl, is because there’s one fact that everyone can agree on. Whether it's pro GMOs or its detractors — GMOs as well as chemically worked foods, aren’t as tasty as their counterparts. Those genetic alterations make them stronger, more resilient, but in doing so much of the natural flavor of the food is edited out.
So, whether you believe GMOs are good or bad, whether you believe pesticides hurt your health or not, the one thing you can’t deny is that organic foods are simply put that much tastier — and isn’t that reason enough to make the transition?
