Maintaining Organic Integrity in Today’s Genetically Modified World

If you have not heard already, last week it was announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will once again allow unlimited, nation-wide commercial planting of Monsanto's genetically-engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa, despite the many risks to organic and conventional farmers. These risks, including the threat of contamination on non-GE farmers, offer no protection for food producers, consumers and exporters who wish to maintain organic standards. In other words, those that are committed to organic agriculture may face a chance of crop contamination from nearby Genetically Engineered farms, in addition to a long list of negative environmental effects caused by GE plants. (The Center for Food Safety will be suing on this decision).

So what does this mean for the natural products industry, organic farmers and conscious consumers? It means we have to be careful, continue to make wise choices about where our food and food ingredients come from, and stay educated on what is going on in the GE world. It is forecasted that in the coming months, we will be seeing USDA proposals to allow unrestricted plantings of GE sugar beets, and GE corn and soy crops designed to resist toxic pesticides, such as 2-4D and Dicamba, highly toxic pesticides that pose a serious threat to our health and the environment. To win these critical and difficult battles, the entire organic community, and our allies in the conventional food and farming community, will have to work together.*Forecast statement from “We Stand United Letter,” Maria Rodale

When it comes down to maintaining the highest quality of organic food possible, it’s all about integrity. As organic farmers, natural food producers and conscious consumers, we may not be able to have influence on USDA decisions (as last spring more than 200,000 people submitted comments to the USDA highly critical of the substance and conclusions of its draft EIS on GE Alfalfa), we may not be able to control what crops our neighboring farms are planting, and we might have to learn to live with the fact that biotech companies will continue to create genetically engineered seeds. What we can do, is vote with our dollars, choose organic whenever possible, religiously read our food labels and stand up against genetically modified crimes committed against us. The USDA is not a single person, but an organization of many – to create change and maintain hope for an organic future, the organic community must unite, and collaborate for this imperative cause.

Mile High is 100% dedicated to organic, and we intend to stay that way. In the midst of this challenging time in food safety, we can assure you that Mile High Organics will ALWAYS provide the highest quality, organic produce available, without question. For our natural grocery products, we have extremely strict screening standards, and only offer foods with high quality, organic ingredients. Anything less is not a product that we as a company are willing to offer. When you shop with us, you choose organic every time. We are proud to serve you, and do our part to stand up against the USDA and genetically engineered food.

For additional information on this issue, read Maria Rodale’s article and “We Stand United” letter on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/we-stand-united-in-opposi_b_816637.html