39 thoughts on “What are real differences between organic (and conventional types) vs GMO corn?”
Where does the ‘requires 6% less pesticide’ from? And how can you clump all GM corn together like that – what type of GM corn are we talking about here?
So if they disagree with you they are not creditworthy? How about checking it out by asking a real farmer? Those less than 2% of the U.S. population that own 95% of the crop land and produce 98% of the food you eat.
The Genetic Literacy Project is headed by a man who has “conflict of interest” written all over him, and all you can come back with is “if they disagree with you they are not creditworthy”? You’re cute! Try actually reading the article and commenting on it instead. BTW, I *do* talk with actual farmers, because I am a member of an organic CSA farm, and they disagree with most of what this silly info-graphic says.
Have you looked at the EIQ of the newer herbicides vs those they replaced? Since the impact on the environment is the primary concern perhaps you should.
I’m a 7th generation TN farmer. Before. GM crops farmers would usually have to make an extra pesticide application to kill corn ear worms. bT corn has been modified for the corn to produce naturally occurring toxins to ward off these pests thereby reducing pesticide use. Before roundup tech became available we had to use more herbicides than we do now. Roundup’a persistence in the environment is much less than older chemistries for mom GM crops. The yield bump comes from better control of pests and weeds while reducing chemical use. I hope this helps because this is what has happened on our family farm.
Yes, I know what organic means since I am an organic corn farmer. We don’t use any pesticides on our corn and I don’t know any organic farmer who does. Crop rotation takes care of pests for us.
The real question is: Where can I buy your corn for the same price (or less) as GMO corn?
Let’s be honest here: “organic” is a luxury for rich people.
Emily, I’ll tell you why I avoid eating organic corn.
Used to be, at our local farmers market, we’d get a bag of organic corn, and the seller would brag “Guaranteed at least one worm in every bag!” His point was to prove that no pesticides were used against the worms. I thought that was cool, and used to proudly point out to my dinner guests how “natural” the corn was, by showing them the corn borer damage and resultant fungus damage in the ears we were eating. I thought that was way hippie-cool.
Not anymore.
Look up corn borer mycotoxin contamination of corn — bad for people and bad for livestock that eats this kind of corn. Fuminosins and aflatoxins can persist in “natural” organic corn that is not adequately treated for corn borer damage and resultant fungus.
You don’t even use Bt? Well, good for you, but I sure as heck wouldn’t eat that. Give me fungus-free GE corn anyday! (altho there isn’t much GE sweet corn available that I can find, so I eat conventional corn) And curiosity question: Are you growing 1000-2000 acres? No? One or three acres? BIG difference.
I’m impressed that you can avoid corn borer damage through crop rotation.
Jason, Organic means pesticide free…its the first bullet point in the definition of the word…”organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.’
Emily, you are right. They’re stats are not credible. -6% of 0 is still zero.
If gmo is so
good why are company’s like Monsanto and Monsanto is the mane one I am talking
about kicked out of 30 countries, Poland being the last one. It is against the
law to even plant GMPO in Europe. This isn’t funny and 3rd world country’s
don’t even want your seeds. Well either they are all wrong or companies like Monsanto
are nothing more than money whore’s. It has little to do with helping people
but in breaking the small farmer and taking over the market and controlling all
the crops.
Many countries around the world, both developing and developed nations rejects GMO due to the European influence on the international trade market as they import 75% of their food from developing nations. Europeans fear GMOs due to the early success of anit-GMO supporters in the 1990s when GM products were first introduced to the market, now the negative stigma associated with GMOs stayed with Europeans and impacts the rest of the world. Now the European government is having a hard time changing people’s minds even when the benefits of GMO can be proven in experiments. Anyone can read more in the book cited below.
Drezner, Daniel W. “Rival Standards and Genetically Modified Organisms.” All Politics Is Global: Explaining International Regulatory Regimes, Princeton University Press, PRINCETON; OXFORD, 2007, pp. 149–175. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7st6p.11.
Pigs fed a GMO diet exhibited health problems more than pigs fed a comparable non-GMO diet | Organic Slant http://www.organicslant.com600 × 250Search by image
In pigs eating genetically modified crops, the average rate of severe stomach inflammation was nearly three times as high as that for other pigs (32 percent vs. 12 percent). Among male pigs
Pastor, with all apologies to you and god; um, look at the website you cite. Organic slant. Hype.
Don’t you think that pig farmers would have noticed that their pigs are having health problems?
Talk to a pig farmer.
But don’t pastor / lecture here based on shabby hype, please.
I’m all for GMOs, but “no benefits” for conventional is somewhat misleading since it’s the baseline. Isn’t also the case that some GMOs have the function of allowing for more use of certain pesticides? Not that I’m necessarily against that, either, as long as it’s safe for health and environment, and theoretically it can be.
If you seriously believe that GE foods cause cancer, based on unscientific studies like the debunked Seralini rat study, then yes, you probably should just stay away from GE and just stick with organic food.
Where does the ‘requires 6% less pesticide’ from? And how can you clump all GM corn together like that – what type of GM corn are we talking about here?
Consider the source… “The Making of an Agribusiness Apologist”: http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/02/atrazine-syngengta-tyrone-hayes-jon-entine
So if they disagree with you they are not creditworthy? How about checking it out by asking a real farmer? Those less than 2% of the U.S. population that own 95% of the crop land and produce 98% of the food you eat.
The Genetic Literacy Project is headed by a man who has “conflict of interest” written all over him, and all you can come back with is “if they disagree with you they are not creditworthy”? You’re cute! Try actually reading the article and commenting on it instead. BTW, I *do* talk with actual farmers, because I am a member of an organic CSA farm, and they disagree with most of what this silly info-graphic says.
No conflict of interest from the anti-GMO crowd? Whole Foods alone takes in almost as much as Big Evil Monsanto. Big organic = big $ selling fear.
Non-GMO Crops are more Productive and Profitable:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/american-farmers-abandoning-genetically-modified-seeds-non-gmo-crops-are-more-productive-and-profitable/5366365
Do GMO Crops Really Have Higher Yields?:
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/02/do-gmo-crops-have-lower-yields
Yes, And they do use less herbicide, and much less dangerous ones than we sued to use.
from a Minnesota farmer.
The research and thousands of sustainable farmers disagree with you.
Jolly, depends on the crop. In my area, GE sugar beets have a 40% higher yield than previous to use of GE seeds.
GMO Crops Have Led to a 25% Increase In Herbicide Use:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/genetic-engineering-companies-promised-reduced-pesticide-use-but-gmo-crops-have-led-to-a-25-increase-in-herbicide-use/5366371
Conspiracy theory site alert!
Have you looked at the EIQ of the newer herbicides vs those they replaced? Since the impact on the environment is the primary concern perhaps you should.
Herbicides are not created equal.
Common sense should tell you that’s not true simply because that would be cost ineffective.
I’m a 7th generation TN farmer. Before. GM crops farmers would usually have to make an extra pesticide application to kill corn ear worms. bT corn has been modified for the corn to produce naturally occurring toxins to ward off these pests thereby reducing pesticide use. Before roundup tech became available we had to use more herbicides than we do now. Roundup’a persistence in the environment is much less than older chemistries for mom GM crops. The yield bump comes from better control of pests and weeds while reducing chemical use. I hope this helps because this is what has happened on our family farm.
Do you plant herbicide tolerant crops and spray with herbicide?
GMO corn has 6% fewer pesticides than the 0% we use on the organic corn on our farm? Wow that is awesome! …. wait what?
Organic does not mean pesticide free. Just that the producer used chemicals on the approved USDA organic list.
Yes, I know what organic means since I am an organic corn farmer. We don’t use any pesticides on our corn and I don’t know any organic farmer who does. Crop rotation takes care of pests for us.
Yeah, these fine folks obviously don’t want to hear from sustainable farmers or people who care about such things.
We’re can I buy your corn
The real question is: Where can I buy your corn for the same price (or less) as GMO corn?
Let’s be honest here: “organic” is a luxury for rich people.
Emily, I’ll tell you why I avoid eating organic corn.
Used to be, at our local farmers market, we’d get a bag of organic corn, and the seller would brag “Guaranteed at least one worm in every bag!” His point was to prove that no pesticides were used against the worms. I thought that was cool, and used to proudly point out to my dinner guests how “natural” the corn was, by showing them the corn borer damage and resultant fungus damage in the ears we were eating. I thought that was way hippie-cool.
Not anymore.
Look up corn borer mycotoxin contamination of corn — bad for people and bad for livestock that eats this kind of corn. Fuminosins and aflatoxins can persist in “natural” organic corn that is not adequately treated for corn borer damage and resultant fungus.
You don’t even use Bt? Well, good for you, but I sure as heck wouldn’t eat that. Give me fungus-free GE corn anyday! (altho there isn’t much GE sweet corn available that I can find, so I eat conventional corn) And curiosity question: Are you growing 1000-2000 acres? No? One or three acres? BIG difference.
I’m impressed that you can avoid corn borer damage through crop rotation.
Jason, Organic means pesticide free…its the first bullet point in the definition of the word…”organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.’
Emily, you are right. They’re stats are not credible. -6% of 0 is still zero.
Absolutely false. Look up “organic pesticides USDA” for a comprehensive list of pesticides approved for USDA-certified organic food. Jason is correct. Hunter, you are mistaken.
http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4dmg/VegFruit/organic.htm
Emily Zweber, honestly you aint know what you talking bout you stanky lil hoe, do your damn research boo
Can I buy your corn.
4 for a buck?
Love how the article uses the same exact photo to show each…are we that gullible?
Emily Zweber, honestly you aint know what you talking bout you stanky lil hoe, do your damn research
If gmo is so
good why are company’s like Monsanto and Monsanto is the mane one I am talking
about kicked out of 30 countries, Poland being the last one. It is against the
law to even plant GMPO in Europe. This isn’t funny and 3rd world country’s
don’t even want your seeds. Well either they are all wrong or companies like Monsanto
are nothing more than money whore’s. It has little to do with helping people
but in breaking the small farmer and taking over the market and controlling all
the crops.
Where is this research from please?
Many countries around the world, both developing and developed nations rejects GMO due to the European influence on the international trade market as they import 75% of their food from developing nations. Europeans fear GMOs due to the early success of anit-GMO supporters in the 1990s when GM products were first introduced to the market, now the negative stigma associated with GMOs stayed with Europeans and impacts the rest of the world. Now the European government is having a hard time changing people’s minds even when the benefits of GMO can be proven in experiments. Anyone can read more in the book cited below.
Drezner, Daniel W. “Rival Standards and Genetically Modified Organisms.” All Politics Is Global: Explaining International Regulatory Regimes, Princeton University Press, PRINCETON; OXFORD, 2007, pp. 149–175. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7st6p.11.
Pigs fed a GMO diet exhibited health problems more than pigs fed a comparable non-GMO diet | Organic Slant
http://www.organicslant.com600 × 250Search by image
In pigs eating genetically modified crops, the average rate of severe stomach inflammation was nearly three times as high as that for other pigs (32 percent vs. 12 percent). Among male pigs
Pastor, with all apologies to you and god; um, look at the website you cite. Organic slant. Hype.
Don’t you think that pig farmers would have noticed that their pigs are having health problems?
Talk to a pig farmer.
But don’t pastor / lecture here based on shabby hype, please.
I’m all for GMOs, but “no benefits” for conventional is somewhat misleading since it’s the baseline. Isn’t also the case that some GMOs have the function of allowing for more use of certain pesticides? Not that I’m necessarily against that, either, as long as it’s safe for health and environment, and theoretically it can be.
GMO Cancer tumor?
No, thank you.
If you seriously believe that GE foods cause cancer, based on unscientific studies like the debunked Seralini rat study, then yes, you probably should just stay away from GE and just stick with organic food.