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Emily Oliver
Dr. Robert Murdock
English Composition 1001
What is food sustainability and what are the effects of GM verses organic?
As defined by http://www.sustainabletable.org, ‘Sustainable agriculture is a way of
raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, is
humane for workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports and
enhances rural communities.’ This sounds like a reasonable term and equally the right thing to
do. The USDA’s definition of food sustainability is, as proclaimed in 1990 in Public Law 101624, Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1683, “an integrated system of plant and animal production
practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term, satisfy human food and
fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the
agricultural economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and onfarm resources, and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain
the economic viability of farm operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society
as a whole.
This was written with the right intentions from our government, to help out the farmers
and also the environment while maintaining a stable food market. In the definition given by
Sustainable Table, they hold protection as a high priority; for the people, animals, and the planet,
as well as a respect for all. It’s hard to fathom that our government and food suppliers would
poison our foods, be it with commercial fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically engineered seeds to
withstand those pesticides, but they have. Organicconsumers.org states the most popular
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herbicide-tolerant GMOs are Monsanto's Roundup Ready® crops, which are engineered to be
resistant to the company's own broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup, used to kill weeds. This
enables growers to use large quantities of Roundup on their fields, and the herbicide will kill
everything except the GM crop. Monsanto is one of the biggest sellers of GM seeds and with its
help three corporations control 53 percent of the global commercial seed market. They outlet
products to major grocery stores and restaurants leaving the organic farmers, who can’t afford
the mass production or can’t afford the fees included in even labeling their product as organic, to
sell their goods at a farmers market of some kind.
Today, over 80% of US corn, soybean and cotton crops are genetically modified. GM
sugar beets were introduced in 2008, and already in the first year, 90% of the sugar beets grown
in the U.S. are genetically modified. This means the organic farmers who don’t use GM seeds
barely scratch the surface of the market place. Not to mention the amount of food manufacturers
that use GM corn or soybean forms in their products, as opposed to organic based agriculture. As
of 2007, there are 13,000 certified organic producers in the US (http://ofrf.org/organic-faqs). We
can’t even begin to count how many industrialized farms there are in the US.
Thousands upon thousands of livestock are held within tight confined stables, and this
can’t compare with the open fields of pasture based farms. More and more industrialized farms
have put the ‘old fashioned’ way of farming out of business. Not to mention that livestock from
industrial farms are fed a grain-based feed, which is great when you need to fatten up an animal
in half the time, but in doing so you are also causing major health problems for an animal that
should be eating grass and other foliage. A respect for our food is essential, and if we, as a
society, start to become numb to the conditions of which our food is raised, we become numb to
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what we put in our bodies and how it affects us. With saying that, I fully support pasture-based
farming with both livestock and agriculture.
When industrial farmers produce food-crops that are genetically modified, one or more
genes are incorporated into the crops genome using a vector containing several other genes like
viral promoters, transcription terminators, antibiotic resistance marker genes, and reporter genes.
The effects of these seeds and crops on human health has not been widely tested. . In a study on
the effects of three different GM corn products on lab rat’s health, it concluded that after 60
biochemical parameters were classified per organ and measured in serum and urine after 5 and
14 weeks of feeding, it was determined the effects were mostly dependent on sex and dosage and
effected multiple organs. The effects were mostly on the kidneys and liver but other effects were
shown in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and hematopoietic system. The results concluded that
there existed hepatorenal toxicity because of the new pesticides found on each GM corn (Iraz
Haspolat Kaya , 2012). (De Vendomois et al. 2009).
On May 18th, 1994, the very first crop submitted to the FDA’s (Food & Drug
Administration) voluntary consultation process, the Flavr Savr tomato, showed evidence of
toxins. Out of 20 female rats fed the GM tomato, 7 developed stomach lesions. The type of
stomach lesions linked to tomatoes could lead to life-endangering hemorrhage, particularly in the
elderly who use aspirin to prevent blood clots. Dr. Pusztai believes that the digestive tract, which
is the first and largest point of contact with foods, can reveal various reactions to toxins and
should be the first target of GM food risk assessment. Mice fed potatoes engineered to produce
the Bt-toxin developed abnormal and damaged cells, as well as proliferative cell growth in the
lower part of their small intestine. Rats fed potatoes engineered to produce a different type of
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insecticide (GNA lectin from the snowdrop plant) also showed proliferative cell growth in both
stomach and intestinal walls (Verma, Charu, et al. 2011).
Other studies conclude that some people who consumed GM food may have a higher risk
for autism, obesity, liver damage, and other detrimental health problems. The results in a study
by the National Center for Health Statistics showed the prevalence of parent-reported autism
spectrum disorder (ASD) among children aged 6–17 was 2.00% in 2011–2012, a significant
increase from 2007 (1.16%). The magnitude of the increase was greatest for boys and for
adolescents aged 14–17. Cohort analyses revealed consistent estimates of both the prevalence of
parent-reported ASD and autism severity ratings over time. Children who were first diagnosed in
or after 2008 accounted for much of the observed prevalence increase among school-aged
children (those aged 6–17). School-aged children diagnosed in or after 2008 were more likely to
have milder ASD and less likely to have severe ASD than those diagnosed in or before 2007
(Blumberg 2013).
This is a broad spectrum in the food world, seeing as other factors may have influenced
the outcome. For as much as the GM products can affect us, perhaps we should take a closer look
into how the animals are bred, raised, and killed. Sustainabletable.org tells of how cattle are
forced into small, confined stables typically without fresh air or sunlight. This lack of space is a
breeding ground for diseases and bacteria, which is why the livestock is routinely given
antibiotics. Cattle may spend anywhere from 2-10 months at a stocker operation. Then they are
loaded up into a livestock hauler and taken to feedlots. Thousands of unknown animals are
mixed together, disrupting natural social structures and exposing animals to diseases. A feedlot is
dry, and animals don’t graze on pastures. When they arrive, most are vaccinated and also given a
growth promotant to stimulate muscle and fat growth. Cattle spend anywhere from 6-12 months
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at the feedlot where they will gain an unnatural amount of weight in a short period of time. When
they are 18-24 months of age, the cattle are once again loaded up into livestock haulers and
transported to the slaughterhouse (http://animalplace.org/cattle.html).
Farmsanctuary.org states more than 9.3 million cows were used to produce milk
in the United States in 2008, and more than 2.5 million dairy cows were slaughtered for meat.
Cows used by the dairy industry are intensively confined into tight stables, continually
impregnated, about every 13 months, and bred for high milk production with little concern for
their well-being. When the cows give birth, the calf is usually taken away from them to save on
milk for human consumption, and if it is a male calf, they will either use the meat for veal, which
is calf meat; or castrate them, without pain relief, and fatten them up for the slaughter house. If it
is a female, the outcome of their lives will be that of their parent. Far from being the “happy
cows” the industry makes them out to be, these typically playful, nurturing animals endure
immense suffering on factory farms.
The difference between organic livestock and industrial is incomparable. Animals raised
on pastures enjoy a much higher quality of life than those confined within factory farms. When
raised on open pasture, animals are able to move around freely and carry out their natural
behaviors. They can graze on the grass grown there and enjoy the sun on a bright day. Grasses
and other plants allows livestock to produce saliva, which helps neutralize acids that exist
naturally in their digestive systems. When they are given the grain-based diet with the extra
additives, it can cause liver abscesses, dehydration, intestinal damage, or even death. When you
allow the animal to roam free where it should be, to do the natural things they do, your food is
happy and healthy, you don’t have to worry about how small the pen that held your burger was,
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or how mistreated they were before hitting the slaughter house, though some people may not
care, there are some who care a great deal.
In the United States and in other countries, there is a staggering amount of government
support for commodity crop productions like wheat, corn, and soy through the use of government
subsidies. Government support for commodity crops has effectively made large-scale farmers
ignore other, more healthy, crops. Also, a great deal of the industrial crops grown in the US are
used for animal feed in factory farms. Government support for industrial crop production has led
to an increase in corn- and soy-fed animals, and increased production of “junk” foods that use
corn (high fructose corn syrup), wheat, and soy as their base, ultimately contributing to the
prevalence of health problems such as heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes (Fields, Scott.
(2004).
Obesity is one of the largest killers of the average adults, more than one third of the
United States is obese. The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion
in 2008; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal
weight. Take into account the amount of power the hospitals have over our lives and their
connections with higher political sources, the same sources that are feeding us food that may be
slowing degrading our own bodies, though this is another topic, the two are closely related. If
people ate foods without growth hormones or added antibiotics instead of shoving them down
their throats, maybe we wouldn’t have such a high rate for obesity. Sure everything is good in
moderation, but when you have such a high intake of sugars and processed foods, the reward
center in your brain can soon become tolerant to the good feeling you get when these products
are consumed. Stuart Wolpert conducted a study at UCLA talking about omega-3 fatty acids and
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what the lack of them can do on your brain. Salmon is a great source for omega-3 fatty acids, but
when the genetics of this fish are altered, nutrients are sacrificed for a bigger production value.
Eating sustainably-grown unprocessed, or minimally processed food, such as whole
grains, legumes, and fresh fruits and vegetables, has a number of health benefits, including
decreased total cholesterol levels, decreased risk of certain cancers, increased colon function,
and increased intake of important nutrients and minerals. Eating meat, eggs, and dairy products
from pastured animals also has health benefits when these products are consumed in
moderation. Although increasing intake of fruit, vegetables, and grain in general is important,
there is some evidence that sustainably grown fruit, vegetables, and grains are higher in
nutrients. This is related to several factors, including the ways in which the food was grown,
harvested, and transported (Frith, K. 2007), (Steinmetz, K. & Potter, J. 1991). Pastured animal
products tend to be more healthful than products from animals raised in factory farms. Meat
and dairy from pastured animals has higher levels of omega-3s, vitamins A and E, and other
antioxidants. Grass-fed beef is also lower in fat and has higher ratios of “good” cholesterol
(HDL) versus “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. Eggs from chickens allowed access to forage have
higher levels of omega-3s and Vitamin E (Daley, C 2010), (Karsten, H.D. 2010). Obesity was
never the way it is now, and with the help of processed foods and things like high fructose corn
syrup, it will stay a constant in our future unless we stand up and learn what we eat is who we
are.
Modern industrial crops are bred for high yield, ease of transport, and fast growth, rather
than for nutrient content. As a result, macro- and micronutrients, which are important
components of our diet, have declined in the food supply, since new industrial crops often have
fewer nutrients than their older counterparts. There have also been decreases in protein, iron,
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potassium, calcium, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, zinc, selenium, and other essential nutrients, both
macro- and micro-, in many conventionally grown fruits, vegetables, and grains (Halweil, B.
2007). The nutrient content of animal products has also declined with the rise of factory farming
and the reduced availability of pastured animal products. Higher yields of milk common in
industrial dairies tend to correspond to lower concentrations of protein, fat, and other milk
components. Industrially raised animal products such as beef have lower levels of important
nutrients and are higher in fat and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol (Daley, C 2010).
Sustabletable.org has said that recent multi-state outbreaks of foodborne illness such as
Salmonella, E.coli, and Listeria, have involved a wide variety of foods, including ground beef,
poultry, tuna, sprouts, lettuce, and cantaloupe. Antibiotic-resistant pathogens, weak food safety
standards, and inadequate food safety inspection procedures have made foodborne illnesses
increasingly dangerous. The CDC estimates that 48 million incidents of foodborne illness occur
annually in the US. The top three foods causing foodborne illness were poultry, beef, and fish,
while the organism causing the most hospitalization and death was Salmonella (Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. 2011). The unsanitary, crowded conditions in factory farms
increase the possibility that animal products from these facilities will be contaminated with a
dangerous pathogen. This, coupled with the consolidation of meat and produce production and
the increasingly fast line speeds in industrial slaughterhouses, increases the risk of improper
processing, handling, and/or preparation that can potentially contaminate large quantities of food
distributed over vast areas. Foodborne illness caused by industrially produced food has also
become difficult to trace and monitor due to national and international distribution of food
products and the increasingly common involvement of multiple farms, food processors, and food
distributors in a single outbreak (Jay, M. 2004).
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‘Organic farmers build healthy soils by nourishing the living component of the soil, the
microbial inhabitants that release, transform, and transfer nutrients. Soil organic matter
contributes to good soil structure and water-holding capacity. Organic farmers’ feed soil biota
and build soil structure and water-holding capacity and they also build soil organic matter with
cover crops, compost, and biologically based soil amendments. These produce healthy plants that
are better able to resist disease and insect predation. Organic farmers' primary strategy in
controlling pests and diseases is prevention through good plant nutrition and management. They
use cover crops and sophisticated crop rotations to manage the field ecology, effectively
disrupting a habitat for weeds, insects, and disease organisms. Weeds are controlled through crop
rotation, mechanical tillage, and hand-weeding, as well as through cover crops, mulches, flame
weeding, and other management methods. The farmers also rely on a diverse population of soil
organisms, beneficial insects, and birds to keep pests in check. When pest populations get out of
balance, growers implement a variety of strategies such as the use of insect predators, mating
disruption, traps and barriers. Under the National Organic Program Rule, growers are required to
use sanitation and cultural practices first before they can resort to applying a material to control a
weed, pest or disease problem. Use of these materials in organic production is regulated, strictly
monitored, and documented.’(http://ofrf.org/organic-faqs).
It takes time and love to make something worthwhile, something that is truly good for
you and easy to get if you really want to. Regulations in order to name your product ‘organic’ are
dragged out and pricey. If farmers want to describe their products as organic they have to go
through a national certification process involving substantial fees and extensive record keeping.
This process was too costly and time consuming for smaller organic farmers, who then stopped
using the term organic. Even if they met the accepted standards, they couldn’t label their
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products as organic while trying to sell them. In order to grow organic, a farmers land must be
free of prohibited substances, like pesticides, herbicides, etc., for three years. After it is deemed
ok by the USDA they must try to certify with either a foreign, private, or state entity; who must
also be accredited by the USDA. The fees for certifying their product as organic can range from
a couple hundred to several thousand dollars. Before they apply, they must understand their
certifier’s fee structure and billing cycle. Typically, there is an application fee, annual renewal
fee, assessment on annual production or sales, and inspection fees (http://www.ams.usda.gov).
It’s simple to fall into the cracks of ease and temptation, the consumers have forgotten
about real food, grown in someone’s backyard. The process of our food now is just a machine
packaging, storing, preserving, and delivering our daily needs. Our bodies are meant to have
food from the earth, made up of all the nutrients it should have without genetic alterations, we
shouldn’t substitute our health for convenience, but we have. There are so many ways to shop
organic, but you have to dig deeper than the super market, though most chains do offer an
organic selection. All around rural and urban areas, farmers’ markets’ are popping up with
dozens of locally grown organic food products. They are relatively easy to find if you do a quick
search in your area and they have truly sustainable food. Humans are not made to eat out of a
microwave or have fruits and vegetables withstand weeks of shipment. One of the best and surest
ways to know if you’re eating organic is to grow it yourself, then you will know exactly what
went in your food and how it was raised. It may seem hard at first, even a pain, but the reward of
eating a tomato grown in your own backyard is worth it. Food brings people together too; on
holidays, family members are circled around the table waiting to eat something homemade. Food
should be a comfort, not a processed bag of pizza rolls, but something to make your body work
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the way it should and balance everything out. Instead of buying whatever TV dinner you see,
maybe you should stop down the healthy isle and give it a try.
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Sources.
- www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004346&acct=nopgeninfo
-www.animalplace.org/cattle.html
-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). 2011 estimates of foodborne illness in the
United States. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2012.
Daley, C., Abbott, A., Doyle, P., Nader, G., & Larson, S. (2010). A review of fatty acid profiles
and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef. Nutrition Journal, 9, 1-12.
-De Vendomois, J.S., F. Roullier, D. Cellier and G.E. Seralini, 2009. A Comparison of the
Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health. Int. J. Biol. Sci., 5: 706-726.
-www.farmsanctuary.org/learn/factory-farming/dairy/
-Fields, Scott. (2004). The Fat of the Land: Do Agricultural Subsidies Foster Poor
Health? Environmental Health Perspectives, 112, A820-A823
-Frith, K. (2007). Is Local More Nutritious?Retrieved August 27, 2012
-Halweil, B. (2007). Still No Free Lunch: Nutrient levels in U.S. food supply eroded by pursuit of
high yields(Critical Issue Report). Retrieved from the Organic Center website. Retrieved August
27, 2012
-Iraz Haspolat Kaya , 2012. Genetically Modified Crops and Human Health. Journal of Animal
and Veterinary Advances, 11: 3613-3617
-Jay, M., Garrett, V., Mohle-Boetani, J., Barros, M., Farrar, J., Rios, R., Abbott, S.,... Werner, S.
(2004). A multistate outbreak of escherichia coli O157:H7 infection linked to consumption of
beef tacos at a fast-food restaurant chain. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 39, 1-7.
-Karsten, H.D., Patterson, P.H., Stout, R. & Crews, G. (2010). Vitamins A, E and fatty acid
composition of the eggs of caged hens and pastured hens. Renewable Agriculture and Food
Systems, 25, 45–54
-NCHS. Blumberg SJ, Bramlett MD, Kogan MD, et al. Changes in prevalence of parent-reported
autism spectrum disorder in school-aged U.S. children: 2007 to 2011–2012. National health
statistics reports; no 65. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2013
-www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/agnic/susag.shtml
-www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/scientists-learn-how-food-affects-52668.aspx
-www.ofrf.org/organic-faqs
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-www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_28059.cfm
Steinmetz, K.& Potter, J. (1991). Vegetables, fruit, and cancer. Cancer Causes & Control, 2, 325357.
-www.sustainabletable.org
-Verma, Charu, et al. "A review on impacts of genetically modified food on human health." Nutr
J 4 (2011): 3-11