In re: organic foods, I do believe that we are all better off when foods are grown organically- for our health and the planet. There are so many things that food growers can do that eliminate the need for chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides.

I toured Rodale Institute in PA a few years ago (and that’s when and why I became a vegetarian). They had a sign that read something like: Healthy soil, healthy food, healthy people. It really clicked.

(Ooh, my captcha is beanss!)

I haven’t made up my mind about organic yet. I certanly don’t agree with toxic pesticides nor fertilizers which take up huge amounts of energy to be produced. BUT I’ve heard many times that, since organic crops are way less productive, there is no way you could feed the world’s population with organic food. The available land wouldn’t be enough. The ones who said that were agronomic engineers. Besides, organic IS more expensive.

I think that the ideal crop may be one that uses the available tecnology to create genetically modified crops in a way that truly benefitted the CROP, in a direct way (I mean, for example, to make the crop more resistant to a fungi, NOT to a fungicide).
The integrated plague control should be used to solve the problems before thinking of creating a GMO.
And the fertilizers used (because apparently they are VERY necessary) should be created to be energy efficient in every way, and not to become more and more necessary to the soil.

As always, the whole thing is bussiness for a few rich guys, who sell pesticides, fertilizers and GMO seeds. But that’s what’s wrong– not the techniques themselves.

That’s my point of view. What do I eat, you may be wondering? Well I can’t afford organic anyway! ;-)

Lara S.

Linda A