Cost of organic grain

[parsley]

A couple of points:

1. Rotation is a requirement by most certifying bodies, gregpet. Plowdowns are common. Rotation is practiced. Organic fertilizers are used. Composting is practiced.

2. China? Tibet/Japan/ have been growing crops for centuries and continue to produce food.

[gregpet]

But are organic crops nutritionally beneficial?

[gregpet]

"Given the choice would anyone knowingly choose to eat GMO foods rather than organic"

I think that happens every day and most choose GMO/conventionally grown.

[hlg]

choose may be wrong word if they`re not marked.

[hlg]

To the average consumer GMO and conventional will not mean the same thing.

[gregpet]

Organics are always clearly marked so choose is the right word.

[hlg]

GMO are not marked as such.

[newguy]

Would everyone choose organic food to eat and let 1/3 of the world population starve? That is not an opionion that is a mathematical fact.

[TOM4CWB]

Parsley,

The beauty of humanity is that we were created to have choice as the foundation of/for our existance.

Bless you for growing what you grow, and grow well!

Also blessing to/on those who think differently... and provide food at low cost for billions of people who might otherwise be very hungry and cranky!

Humanity is an amazing creation... I thank the creator for the wisdom to make us with a free spirit and so many with caring hearts!

[jensend]

i think organic farming has always been more of a food safety marketing strategy than a sustainability tool. you're still pulling a thousand or two thousand pounds per acre out of the soil. the nitrogen can be taken out of the air but other nutrients will be depleted.

[gregpet]

So the myth that organically grown food is healthier or more nutritious is just that a myth.

Good marketing tool for the organic industry but facts are facts.

If people are not choosing organic then they are choosing conventional/GMO food. Labeled or not that is the choice the majority make.

[bgmb]

Parsley, one question an organic perrson has never been able to answer for me, maybe you can.

How does an organic farmer replace the nutrients they are taking out of the soil?

[charliep]

I will answer one of your questions Parsley. Do I on purposely eat
genetically engineered food? The answer would be yes although as
a consumer I don't think of that way. I eat food that is safe by
Canadian regulatory standards based on confidence in the food
system. Eating highly processed food with high fat/sugar/salt is an
ongoing issues as obesity epidemic takes over the developed
world. Issues around cleanliness in processing plants (read ecoli,
salmonella) are important to me. Environmental issues such as
release of phytates into water systems via livestock manure (reason
that the GE pigs were bred) will also become more important in the
future. The answer may not the GE pig but agriculture better have
other solutions to this. Off topic but an interesting case study is to
look at the U. of S. challenges of getting a low phytate barley (bred
using conventional breeding) registered by CFIA under plant with
novel trait legislation but off topic.

[parsley]

If you lined up consumers in a mall, and asked them, "Do you prefer to eat organic/natural food or biotech/GM/designed food?" ....What would the answer be?

Most people will choose organic. That's my point.

University students will likely choose organic. Children will choose organic. It's the rare person who chooses to have their food's genes modified by adding chemicals. And that's mainly been the thrust of what is happening. Say,is most current modification a chemical gene insert useful to chemical companies, instead of an agronomic insert useful soley to farmers?

Most people do not know that they already eat mostly genetically modified food. And food companies don't want them to know, either.

Corn and soybeans have been modified and are the basic staple products used in conventionally prepared foods.

Nobody in their right marketing minds will print a label "boasting"..."Your food has been modified and contains a chemical gene."

hey, the president of Monsanto doesn't eat organic food because it's a whim.

I agree with your statement:"organic farming has always been more of a food safety marketing strategy than a sustainability tool"

Bottom line: Consumers do not trust companies who jiggle genes in your food in order to sell chemicals to farmers. Why would they? Organics came into place because of allergies, and food safety issues. How many people are now allergic to wheat? gluten? Isn't it a phenomena? Why?

ALL farming takes nutrients from the land. The nutrients end up in your body.

Will central planning governments have food-aid packages GM modified to prevent conception, and target only "specified" countries, (labelled as such as a result of a show of hands in a closed boardroom). Who will be the first to be issued the "Operation URDUN" food packages with the object of modifying growing numbers?

Sounds far-fetched?

Central planners abound. pars

[parsley]

As I said, Greg, I did compare the US study on vegetables and was quite amazed. Organics had not only MORE element % in the vegetables, but also contained additional elements that were not present in the conventional vegetables.

I understand the push by conventional farmers to want the public to accept genetically modified food....to eat a handfull of Triffid and say "yummy, that chemical gene tastes good." The best way to gain full acceptance is by ragging on organics. But in the meantime, food safety has become an issue, not only in Canada, but throughout the world. People are looking at their food and saying, "What the hell?"

Did you know that other countries aren't looking at Canadian conventional grain in quite the same acceptance light as they did ten years ago? Why is that?

My gooot got, BASF and Bayer and Syngenta spend a fortune selling conventional farmers Panther and Rabbit and Cheetah and Snail products (Maybe not quite accurate, I'm out of my field here, and tree...lol)

So maybe the chem co's should up^^^^^^ the farmers' price of chemical price still more and spend a wad of the proceeds telling consumers that Panther and Rabbit and Cheetah and Snail will enhance health.

Good plan?

Hit the farmers with: 'Full time spray is the easiest way.'

Hit the Canadian consumer with: 'Full time spray is the healthiest way.'

I read that farmers have been cut off the testing projects,is this true for some of you AVers?, so the good thing is now all on-farm test results will finally be accurate.

Farmers can't count I guess. And the chem companies will keep their test results perfect, intact, and confidential? Who guards the test results? Toyota's ex-research statistician? Pars

PS. I'm feeling sporty this morning after watching Anderson Silva last night on UFC, but lamenting that the Swede got whooped. LOL Pars