General conceptions: Organic vs. GMO
These are posts from the week 4 Canvas discussion from the Navigating Modern Food Ethics student-organized seminar that Morgan and Katie taught Winter 2017. The prompt was: "Before looking at this week's readings, what connotations do “organic” and “GMO” have for you? Why do you view these terms in this light?"
"Pure" to its core vs. incredibly manipulated
Jan 24, 2017. Anonymous, NU Sophomore, Environmental Science, SEED, NU WildRoots
Organic and GMO are complete opposites in my mind. Organic implies that something was grown and harvested naturally, with no outside impacts including pesticides or genetic modification. Organic is "pure" to its core. While I don't necessarily think that every product that claims to be organic follows these rules, I still think that something being genuinely organic means it's relatively untouched.
On the flip side, GMO for me means incredibly manipulated. The product has lost its natural being and it has been replaced and modified by outside sources (humans). While I know that there is a lot of potential in the GMO industry to help feed the large and growing population, I think that it should be a completely last resort. It causes problems by disrupting natural evolution more than humans already have, and only makes it harder for organic farmers to make a living, especially if they live next to a GMO farm and there are issues with the patent of that specific GMO strain being blown into other fields by wind. In general, I think GMOs cause more harm than good and their impact on humans is also a relative mystery because they are so new.
Natural vs. mysterious
Jan 22, 2017. Amos Pomp, Sourcing Intern, Website Manager
Organic has a very positive connotation for me. It makes me think of delicious, home-grown fruits and vegetables. With natural pesticides and fertilizers and methods like intercropping, insane amounts of artificial fertilizers wouldn't be causing eutrophication and algal blooms and ocean dead spots. Large swaths of ground wouldn't be sprayed with chemicals, sometimes harming wildlife or farmworkers or surrounding people. Organic is natural. I view organic in this light from learning about farming methods and working on an organic farm and taking enviro classes. Also from the media/organic food campaigns/my parents.
GMOs represent a bit of a mystery. They could be the only solution to feeding all of humanity in years to come (if that's the goal). They could also be harmful who knows how. Harmful to people, animals, etc. Isn't there a possible threat of GMOs reproducing enough to create a global monoculture for any given organism? Decreased biodiversity is not good.... Finally, if GMOs are patented, corporations can control farmers by forcing them to buy seeds from the corporation annually. So I have mixed feelings.
Less toxic vs. already ubiquitous
Jan 24, 2017. Anonymous, NU '18, Anthropology and Legal Studies
Organic to me has a positive connotation in terms of the (less toxic) inputs used on a food product/produce, whereas the term GMO has mixed connotations for me because I've read conflicting information about genetically modified organisms. On one hand, it means that the genetics of a plant have been changed, but on the other hand, I also view most of the foods I buy/eat as genetically manipulated because so many of the species of plants have been bred for very specific/consumerist/unnatural traits. I therefore don't have a very articulated view of the positivity/negativity of GMO products.
More expensive vs. economically feasible
Jan 21, 2017. Christopher Mayorga, NU first-year, Learning Sciences and Latinx Studies
Organic brings to mind more expensive food. My mother would almost never buy organic groceries because of the price difference, and she didn't really understand the reason behind that higher price. In high school, I became somewhat familiar with organic foods through conversations with friends, but never completely understood. From what I know now, organic foods don't use pesticides or other chemicals and tend to lead to greater sustainability. I always accepted that organic foods were better for the environment, but never really understood why.
In terms of GMO, I understand them to be plants or animals that have been altered in some way. I think GMOs bring up a very blurry ethical line. Since I grew up in a small town, many of my friends lived on farms and their parents said they used GMOs because it was just more economically feasible. I'm unsure if there are any environmental objections to GMOs, as opposed to just ethical. As of now, I'm not very conscious about whether the foods I eat are genetically modified or not, and that's something I would like to change.
California lifestyle vs. chemically weird and lacking nutrients
Jan 20, 2017. Anonymous, NU '18, Psychology & IMC
For me, I see organic as something very different than GMO. Organic means clean and safe to eat without any pesticides involved. It means the fruits and vegetables were cared for and cleaned throughout the growth process. This may be incorrect, but this is what I learned growing up. GMO, on the other hand, means that a product has been genetically modified. This is somewhat of a negative term for me. When a product is a GMO, I am less likely to buy it due to the fact that it is not 100% natural. Without the help of humans, this item would not be able to grow by itself. (Again, I may be wrong, but this is what I was taught). I think I view organic in a positive light not only because of the education of the media, but also coming from California and my upbringing. In Northern California, it is extremely important to follow an organic lifestyle as this is the best possible way to stay clear of any pesticides or harmful chemicals. On the other hand, GMOs are considered the enemy. Though I do enjoy the occasional Asian pear (which has to be GMO because it is a mix between an apple and a pear), I have been raised to believe that anything that is modified should not be eaten. Even if this item is delicious, it probably has chemicals and a lack of nutrients because the farms changed the life cycle of the plant. By morphing it with another plant or mixing the two, this item should not be something I eat on a daily basis.
