What Is Non-GMO Farming?<\/h2>\n
First, let\u2019s answer the obvious question \u2013 what\u2019s a GMO? The acronym stands for \u201cgenetically modified organism,\u201d or an organism that has had its DNA altered via genetic engineering techniques.<\/p>\n
Some examples of GMO crops include corn that was modified to survive the application of herbicides, or papayas that have been modified to resist a common papaya virus.<\/p>\n
In order for GMO products to be grown and sold in the United States, they must first be approved by various federal agencies<\/a>.<\/p>\n While scientists may genetically modify crops for any reason, a few types of GMO crops fill farm fields and grocery store shelves.<\/p>\n GMOs often allow for higher yields \u2013 in other words, more food per harvest, per acre, per season. But many advocate against GMOs due to their potentially negative impacts on soil quality, drinking water supply, and health of both people and planet.<\/p>\n While it may sound obvious, non-GMO farming doesn\u2019t utilize GMOs. However, what\u2019s less apparent is the simplicity of this statement.<\/p>\n If a farmer says they\u2019re non-GMO, that only tells you one thing about their farming practices: that they didn\u2019t use any GMOs. It doesn\u2019t<\/em> tell you much else about how a farmer grew a crop or raised an animal. For example, crops sprayed with synthetic pesticides might still be labeled \u201cnon-GMO,\u201d and this designation indicates nothing about animal welfare either.<\/p>\n While organic farming is always non-GMO, organic farmers must also meet other standards to become certified organic by the USDA.<\/p>\n While some people think organic means farmers simply forgo the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, organic farming is a lot more complicated than that.<\/p>\n “People want to know where their food\u2019s coming from. They are interested in how the environment is taken care of, how the people on those farms are being taken care of. Are they being paid a fair wage? Is the food being grown the right way? It\u2019s a product with purpose.” Rather than turning to synthetic chemicals, organic farmers largely rely on cultural, physical, and biological processes. That may mean planting a rye cover crop to suppress any weeds around other crops like corn or soybeans, instead of spraying an herbicide. Or it could involve rotating tomatoes each year to prevent the buildup of disease and therefore forgo the application of fungicides.<\/p>\n It\u2019s true that organic farmers are prohibited from using certain substances. They can\u2019t use irradiation, sewage sludge, GMOs, or most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. However, they can still use products \u2013 including pesticides \u2013 approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Many of these OMRI-approved products are naturally derived, although organic farmers can use a few synthetic products. It\u2019s important to remember that organic pesticides might be just as harmful as their synthetic counterparts. Therefore, it\u2019s important to talk to farmers if you want to learn about what products they use and how they apply them, and do independent research on the benefits and detriments of pesticide use.<\/p>\n While the GMO-free and organic labels can tell you a bit about how food was produced, they don\u2019t provide the full story of how a product was produced. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when you\u2019re interpreting these labels.<\/p>\n Many non-GMO farmers and associated companies have found it worthwhile to label their products GMO-free through the Non-GMO Project<\/a>. As mentioned above, this label means an individual product is free from GMOs, but it doesn\u2019t tell you much else.<\/p>\n On the other hand, if certain crops or products don\u2019t sport the non-GMO label, chances are high they contain a GMO. That\u2019s especially true for products that contain corn or soy.<\/p>\n According to the Non-GMO Project<\/a>, 93% of corn and 95% of soybeans grown in the United States are genetically-engineered. Even if you\u2019re not buying corn and soybeans off the shelf, be aware that these two crops make their way into packaged foods like chips, cereal, and tofu, as well as animal feed.<\/p>\n On the other hand, just because a product is labeled GMO-free doesn\u2019t necessarily make it different from the competitors, which might also be GMO-free. That\u2019s because GMO options aren\u2019t available for every crop. Currently, only 11 GMO crops<\/a> are grown in the US: alfalfa, apples, canola, corn, cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, summer squash, sugar beets, and pineapple. (Any GMO crops imported from other countries must be on this approved list; no GMOs are imported if they\u2019re not also cleared for cultivation in the U.S.) If a crop isn\u2019t on this list, it\u2019s always GMO-free.<\/p>\n When it comes to organic, the USDA Certified Organic label not only means a product is GMO-free, but it also means it was grown using organic methods. For packaged foods, the organic label means the food was made with 95% organically produced ingredients.<\/p>\n Along with knowing what these labels tell you, it\u2019s important to understand what they don\u2019t<\/em> explain. When you\u2019re considering the environmental footprint of an ingredient, you should also consider the impact of transportation, water use, and potential habitat destruction. When you take these factors into account, a local non-organic apple may be better for the environment than an organic apple from the other side of the world.<\/p>\n Furthermore, these labels don\u2019t tell consumers anything about labor practices, animal welfare, taste, or nutritional composition.<\/p>\n You should also recognize that a product may be grown using non-GMO and\/or organic methods even if it doesn\u2019t sport an official label. Becoming certified organic involves a yearly fee as well as detailed record-keeping. Therefore, some small farms may opt to remain uncertified, even if they practice organic methods.<\/p>\n So if you can\u2019t learn everything from the labels, where do you turn? To the people who produced your food \u2013 the farmers. Escoffier students have the opportunity to talk to farmers during the six-week Farm to Table\u00ae experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n During this experience, residential students can tour area farms, chatting with farmers and getting their hands dirty. By the end of the experience, students may walk away with a new appreciation for and understanding of how food is grown. They might also gain the confidence to begin incorporating sustainable practices<\/a> into their cooking \u2013 such as sourcing locally and serving seasonal dishes. Online students can still cover these aspects in their Farm to Table Kitchen course.<\/p>\n “I have a newfound appreciation for the months of work that go into producing every element of a dish and that respect for food has undoubtedly made me a better chef.” If you want to learn more about how Escoffier can help you connect with food both on the farm and in the kitchen, contact us<\/a> today.<\/p>\n Want to learn more about sustainability?<\/strong><\/p>\n This article was originally published on April 4, 2014, and has since been updated.<\/em><\/p>\n *Information may not reflect every student’s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Although they may sound similar, non-GMO and organic farming are different. Here are some key distinctions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":21956,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1317],"tags":[75,1316,238,1374],"class_list":["post-11112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-food-drink","tag-farm-to-table","tag-health-and-nutrition","tag-locally-sourced","tag-sustainability"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCommon Types of GMO Crops<\/h3>\n
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What Is Organic Farming?<\/h2>\n
\nFarmer Lee Jones<\/a>, Award-Winning Member of the Founding Family of \u201cThe Chef\u2019s Garden,\u201d Judge on Food Network\u2019s Iron Chef America, Restaurant: Impossible<\/em>*<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Blue-tractor-driving-on-a-farm-768.jpg\")
\nInterpreting the Non-GMO and Organic Labels<\/h2>\n
GMO-Free vs Organic Labels<\/h3>\n
Looking Beyond the Labels<\/h3>\n
![\"Escoffier](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Chef-instructor-stephanie-michalak-headshot-2-e1619106785172.png\")
“There are a lot of farms that can’t afford organic licensing that are just as good, if not better. You just have to ask that farmer what their practices are, so that you have a deeper understanding of what’s going on there.”
\nStephanie Michalak White, Director of Education*<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\nLearn More About Food By Connecting with Farmers<\/h2>\n
![\"Farmer](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Farmer-talking-to-Escoffier-students-on-a-farm-768.jpeg\")
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\nAntionette Williams, Austin Culinary Arts Graduate*<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n