I recently read a thought-provoking article in the Boston Globe entitled “The New Organic“. The article points out that genetically engineered crops are not necessarily anathema to organic farming. The first example cited was how Bt cotton in Northern China reduced the use of chemical spray by 156 million pounds (almost as much as is used in California each year), and reduced insecticide related illnesses among farmers by 75%.

Biotech (genetically engineered) crops support many of the same objectives as organic farming methods. Used in concert with organic methods, some biotech crops can make organic farming easier, more profitable and more productive (three reasons why organic farming methods are not used more widely).

If you buy organic, think about the reasons you do so: Less use of chemicals? Healthier (or less dangerous) food? Better flavor? There are biotech crops that have been developed for these reasons, too; plants that need less nitrogen fertilizer, plants that are insect resistant, plants with better nutritional profiles, less likely to spoil or with better flavor, plants that can grow in salty soils.

On our own farm, one of the reasons we are not organic is that we aim for production practices that have the lowest overall impact on the environment while still producing enough to enable us to survive. For example, we are using a low level of chemical weed control in our hay field to knock the weeds back enough to let the grass compete successfully. If we didn’t, we’d be making multiple passes with a tractor to ‘naturally’ get rid of aggressive weeds whose presence in our hay would compromise its yield, quality and safety for our animals. We feel that the small amount of chemical weedkiller uses less petrochemicals than the much greater number of tractor hours needed for mechanical control. Similarly, a biotech variety may be part of the lowest environmental impact production system.

Technology alone is not the answer. We need good science and good farming practices to produce sufficient quantities of affordable food in a sustainable manner. It is my opinion that all those involved in agriculture, be they in producing or consuming, must set aside the animosity that so often exists between traditional and alternative production systems. Only in this way can we optimally evaluate and choose among our options.

1. Matt Bogard Says:
   April 5th, 2008 at 4:28pm

   I am glad that you posted this, and fully support your mission. Your mission is very important, given the impact that negative attitudes toward modern agriculture are having on our food choices ( i.e. Starbucks and Krogers recent decisions to not purchase milk produced with rBST)



2. Sara Says:
   April 7th, 2008 at 8:42am

   Thanks for the words of encouragement! I like the comment you made in your blog on this topic regarding the wheat varieties in use today. As you point out, even those used for organic production, having been produced by mutation breeding–gamma rays used to induce mutations in the germplasm to produce the variation selected into today’s varieties.