For organic farmers, bad news comes in twos this week. Organic crops seem to be no more nutritious than conventional ones, and are not necessarily great for the planet either. Continue reading
Tag Archives: food superstition
Why have we fallen out of love with organic food?
Bigger question is how anyone came to fall for the organic scam in the first place. Continue reading
BBC: Organic food ‘not any healthier’
Eating organic food will not make you healthier, according to researchers at Stanford University, although it could cut your exposure to pesticides. Continue reading
Food processing: Telling the other side of the story
Longtime journalist says antagonism toward processed food requires strong, consistent response. Continue reading
USDA panel gets altered-crops pay plan
For the life of me I can’t understand why we pander to the organic scammers. Are we to compensate snake oil salesmen if beneficial products are mixed with fakes? Not a good idea? Neither is pandering to the “accidental is better” crowd, whether they are the perpetrators of the fraud or simply the food superstitious who have been duped. Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture, Biotechnology, Food labeling, Organic food
Tagged anti development, fear of modernity, food superstition
Dumb as a doorknob: A new guide to good, cheap,and low-pesticide, food
What does it take to educate the public – and dopey food writers – that “natural foods” contain far more pesticides than the trivial synthetic applications which might leave a residue on produce? See page 5 (3rd page of pdf) of Bruce Ames’ paper to find:
About 99.9 percent of the chemicals humans ingest are natural. The amounts of synthetic pesticide residues in plant food are insignificant compared to the amount of natural pesticides produced by plants themselves. Of all dietary pesticides that humans eat, 99.99 percent are natural: they are chemicals produced by plants to defend themselves against fungi, insects, and other animal predators.
We have estimated that on average Americans ingest roughly 5,000 to 10,000 different natural pesticides and their breakdown products. Americans eat about 1,500 mg of natural pesticides per person per day, which is about 10,000 times more than the 0.09 mg they consume of synthetic pesticide residues.
Emphasis mine. Continue reading
GM crops sneak into 43 varieties of food we eat
What an idiotic way to put it. No one is “sneaking” food into food at all, just not unnecessarily distinguishing between breeding methods that make no difference to the end product. Consider improved livestock flocks/herds, are they some new variety of critter because their ancestor was the product of artificial insemination or is say, beef still beef? Do you need an additional warning label to tell you that the beast’s grand dam and sire never actually met? Do you actually care that some of the beast’s DNA was once frozen in a plastic straw? Continue reading
Activists in Argentina Expect Landmark Ruling against Agrochemicals
Over glyphosate? It’s safe to say this ruling is consistent with complete nonsense. Continue reading
Activists at their most offensive: INSIGHT-Big Food girds for California GMO fight
This assault brought to you by Big Organic Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture, Biotechnology, Food labeling, Organic food
Tagged food superstition, irrational fears
Canada ready to unveil plan to ease trade of genetically modified foods
Canada is set to unveil to the world its proposal to permit traces of unapproved genetically modified organisms in imported foods, even as government officials admit they don’t trust all countries “equally” when it comes to how they approve use of the organisms. Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture, Biotechnology, Development, Organic food
Tagged fear of modernity, food superstition
Oregon seed, farm groups sue state over GMO canola
Sorry but “organic” isn’t an industry, it’s a marketing scam. Worse it deliberately fosters fear as a marketing strategy and I have exactly zero sympathy with it or its perpetrators. If “organic” agriculture ceased to exist there would be no loss to the world whatsoever. Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture, Biotechnology, Organic food
Tagged anti development, food superstition
Modified food will be on voters’ menu
The controversy stupidity over genetically engineered food has moved up the chain, all the way to the ballot box.
If they do something so asinine they should also have labels on organic food reading something along the lines of “Grown in shit without the chemicals that protect your safety” – it’s only providing information to help consumers make informed choices… Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture, Biotechnology, Food labeling
Tagged food superstition, greenie obstructionists, irrational fears
Pierre Desrochers and Hiroko Shimizu: Debating Locavores: Food to Energy to Smart Action (response to critics)
“Locavores” believe that food produced near final consumers is superior in myriads of ways to distant imports. While they might disagree among themselves on what exactly constitutes a “local foodshed” (a 100-mile radius or the whole state of California?), they have for the most part internalized long standing populist and romantic grievances against modern agricultural science, fossil fuels, large corporations and globalization. Continue reading
Local food is trendy, but is it really more eco-friendly?
Which is better for the environment and the economy — a tomato grown nearby or one from the supermarket? Continue reading
Politicians struggle to limit genetically altered fish
The latest move by politicians to limit or ban the sale of genetically modified fish has been stymied. Continue reading
Wal-Mart OK with selling genetically modified sweet corn
“Rejecting entreaties from consumers and activists, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says it has no objection to selling a new crop of genetically modified sweet corn created by biotech giant Monsanto.“
Good. Let products stand or fall on what consumers buy, not on campaigns run by big organic trying to frighten people into paying exorbitant prices for inferior produce and limit competition from improved low-cost produce. Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture, Biotechnology, Development, Organic food
Supreme Court: Pesticide drift isn’t trespassing
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that chemicals drifting from one farm to another do not constitute trespassing under state law, a decision that could make it harder for organic farmers to seek relief if crops are damaged by pesticide drift. Continue reading
Eye-roller: GM potato trial ‘threatens Ireland’s image’
Ireland’s environmental protection agency has approved the first trial of a genetically modified potato crop. Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture, Biotechnology
Tagged food superstition, greenie obstructionists, irrational fears
Is It A Good Idea To Label Genetically Modified Foods?
“A new bill in California would force food producers to disclose if any genetically engineered ingredients were in what you eat. Is the law common sense or simply trying to hold back the future of food?“
The very act of labeling suggests to consumers there’s something potentially risky about X – if you don’t believe it try giving away bottles of water labeled “Contains DiHydrogen Monoxide” and see what reactions you get. Continue reading
No risk with GMO food, says EU chief scientific advisor
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are no riskier than their conventionally farmed equivalents, the European Commission’s Chief Scientific Advisor Anne Glover has told EurActiv in an exclusive interview, calling for countries impeding GMO use to be put to proof. Continue reading
