Organic vs GM: finding the grain of truth

Kavin Senapathy
In a world where organic food is gaining popularity amongst a small population, who have advocated its benefits, you, along with a group of scientists, have advocated the consumption of genetically modified foods. Why?
The organic industry's goal of environmentally-friendly agriculture is a noble one, but it doesn't live up to its promise. The idea that organic food is better for consumers and the environment than conventional or genetically engineered food is a pervasive myth.
The father of the Green Revolution Norman Borlaug once said, "There are 6.6 billion people on the planet today. With organic farming we could only feed four billion of them. Which two billion would volunteer to die?"Genetic engineering is necessary to feed the world's growing population (slated to reach over 9 billion by 2050) while preserving our national resources. Genetically engineered varieties offer benefits to industry, consumers, and the environment. From aesthetic improvement to pest resistance, drought resistance, and nutrient fortification, genetic engineering can introduce necessary traits with scalpel precision. I strongly believe that India should embrace these technologies and develop varieties to suit its unique ecology, climate, and consumer needs. It's absurd that Bt brinjal hasn't been adopted in India. The massive amounts of insecticides that must be used on non-GMO brinjal to withstand attacks from burrowing insects is astounding. Adoption of Bt brinjal varieties would significantly reduce pesticide usage and pest damage to crops, and alleviate mycotoxin infections which are harmful to humans and animals.

Are all organic foods bad? Or are you just against its intense lobbying? Will this kill the GMO business globally?
My main beef with the organic industry is that it leads anti-biotech zealotry. Organic foods themselves aren't inherently "bad" or "good". For many people, the word "organic" conjures notions of "all-natural" wholesomeness, freshness and responsible consumer habits. But these ideals aren't exclusive to organic. Non-organic food can also be wholesome, fresh and responsible choices, and organic food can be unhealthy (think organic potato chips or cookies).For the record, I am not against organic farmers themselves. But I'm definitely against intense lobbying from the top of the organic industry.

Do you think the GMO industry could die, given the growing popularity of the organic industry?
First I should say I don't see it as a GMO industry. Rather, I see it is a genetic engineering toolbox, a set of plant breeding technologies. Personally, I'm not a fan of the ubiquitous term "GMO" because it's arbitrary. Indeed, most foods have been genetically modified in some way, even those that aren't considered to be GMOs. For example, take several common wheat varieties. Breeders created them with a technique known as radiation mutagenesis or "atomic gardening". The plants were bombarded with gamma radiation or sometimes soaked in toxic chemicals, scrambling their DNA. Scientists use mutagenic techniques to shuffle the mutation cards, hoping for an occasional good hand. Several varieties of wheat are made in this way, including wheat used to make many high-end Italian pastas. Many consumers would be surprised to know these pastas can be sold as organic, and this wheat isn't considered a "GMO".
I don't think genetic engineering methods could die as a result of the organic industry's growing popularity. Indeed, they must not die. I believe there is always going to be a place for conventional agriculture and genetic engineering.

What's your advice to those who need guidance in choosing the right foods?
A healthy, balanced diet can be had without organic, and with genetically engineered ingredients. Choose plenty of fruits and vegetables and limit high-sugar, high-sodium, and high-fat foods (I know it's easier said than done!) Don't worry about whether or not your food is organic. Spend your money wisely without falling for gimmicks. Learn to evaluate claims made on food packaging.

Vani Hari
You have been a huge advocate of going organic, not eating at fast foods and avoid GMOs. Why do you feel that the others are harmful to individuals?
Fast and processed foods generally contain a large number of food additives. These food-like substances are made from chemicals that are cheap, provide zero nutritional value and improve the bottom line of food manufacturers. Fake foods do nothing for our health and in some cases could cause harm. Europe has taken a precautionary principle towards many of the additives I have investigated and banned them for their citizens. Why isn't the United States (and other countries) doing the same? Although the US FDA deems these additives safe, many have not been studied long term and no one has studied the cumulative effect of all the food additives we are eating together. The Deputy Commissioner of the FDA, Michael Taylor, admitted to the media recently, "We do not know the volume of particular chemicals that are going into the food supply so we can diagnose trends. We do not know what is going on post-market".
GMOs can be found in about 80 percent of processed food in America, yet it is not labelled. GMOs come from seeds that are biologically manufactured in laboratories - injected with foreign DNA - and are completely different than hybridizing techniques allowed by nature. These foods have only been in our food supply since 1996 and long-term health impacts were not conducted before they were approved.

Not everybody can afford organic food. What's your advice as an alternative?
I believe that buying quality organic food and eating the most nutritious foods on the planet will save you big bucks down the road in medical costs, prescription drugs and doctor visits – It's totally up to us to make it a priority. I've got over 75 organic budgeting tips on my website, but here's a few:
· Check the websites of your favourite organic companies for coupons and special promotions, almost all of them have some.
· Plan out your meals for the week according to organic foods that are on sale and/or that you have coupons for.
· Make your own organic granola bars, kale chips, smoothies, and juices to replace expensive store-bought versions.
· Organic frozen produce at the store is usually cheaper than fresh, especially if the fruit or vegetable is out of season. Also buy local produce when it's in season and freeze it for later.

You have been criticised in the past two months for "spreading fear by using big chemical names to make people avoid food". How do you react to this?
This idea of avoiding ingredients that have long unpronounceable chemical names actually originated with Michael Pollan in his prominent book In the Defense of Food and later on in Food Rules where in rule #7 he stated "Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce."
Quite honestly, some of the information that I write about on my website is scary. The fact that we have over 10,000 food additives in our food system and that the FDA hasn't reviewed many of them - that is something to be concerned about.

Most of your posts speak of the dangers of GMOs and fast food. Is there another way of promoting organic over speaking on the disadvantages of GMOs?
The primary reasons why I choose organic is because I believe it's better for our health, the environment, and the farmers who grow our food. Organic crops cannot be grown with synthetic pesticides as organic regulations prohibit certain toxic pesticides from being used. For instance, a bag of regular (non-organic) potato chips can contain residues from up to 35 different pesticides used on conventional potatoes, several of which are known carcinogens, suspected hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, or reproductive toxins.