To the editor:
Re: Stanford study slams organic industry
A Stanford study concluded that organic food is no better than conventionally grown food.
Even this poorly designed study has some merit. There are parts of this study which actually make the case for organics.
Women were tracked during pregnancy and the first few years of a child’s life. Stanford researchers acknowledged that eating organic food may indeed reduce the odds of birth defects, autism and other neuro-behavourial problems.
They agree that children who eat organic diets have less pesticides in their bodies.
Organic food production uses methods free of pesticides, herbicides, irradiation, GMOs (genetically modified organ), and free of sewage sludge fertilizer.
Organic meat and dairy do not contain the antibiotics which lead to drug resistant bacteria.
Organically grown animals aren’t routinely given hormones to spur their growth, a process which does create hormone-related side effects such as early puberty in girls.
Still, it is a buyer beware marketplace and the last 10 years has seen an explosion in the organic food movement as it has moved from niche market to main stream.
Today, it is the fastest growing segment of the food industry attracting all of the major food corporations.
Sadly, where big money flows corruption soon follows. I agree that all consumers should be wary of organic food from China.
If you want to eat organically you have to look no further than your local farmers market, grow it yourself or buy local organics from local stores.
One hundred years ago, all food was organic.
Then chemical fertilizers and pesticides were utilized.
The newest thing in modern agriculture is genetically modified foods.
Genetically modified crops such as corn, canola, soy and sugar beets (for making sugar) are not tested for safety at all by Health Canada.
People should be aware that these GMOs are in 80 to 90 per cent of processed foods.
Until our government pays for independent safety testing and provide the labeling that 40 other countries provide for consumers, then eating organically is the only way to ensure that your food is non-GMO.
I encourage support for organic and conventional farmers who don’t use genetically modified seeds.
Heidi Osterman,
certified nutritionist,
Kelowna
