Ever wonder where organic vegetables come from? The foods that are still grown the old-fashioned way with sunlight, water and soil?
Recently I had the good fortune to tour an organic farm in a place where there is endless sunshine, good water supply, and rich soil.
As I stood among those miles of naturally growing crops I felt an energy radiating from the very earth. I felt peace and contentment and a joyful humming in my soul.
Organic food is grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides or other artificial agents.
GMO food or Biotech crops, on the other hand, are plants that are modified using genetic engineering techniques. New traits are introduced to the plants, which does not occur naturally in the species.
Natural foods – there are no defined guidelines for labeling; loosely, food can be labeled natural if there are no colours or flavours, or synthetic materials added.
There are so many labels that do not have any set standards, they are not regulated so companies can freely put labels on their packages without anyone questioning them.
According to Whole Foods mission there are two labels to look for when shopping:
- Certified organic (since the organic standard prohibits the use of GMO ingredients already); or
- Verified by the Non-GMO Project.
Vani Hari (Food Babe), investigative reporter, explains it best in her article “The Shocking Difference Between Organic and Non-GMO…”
“Every time we decide to buy a product, we are supporting so much more than our bodies. We are shaping the landscape of the entire food system – everything from the environment, land, air, and water to the farmers themselves.”
We do live in a world where the growing of food has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. Food we ate when we were children now hurt us more than make us healthy. No more waiting for a good crop, now we demand out of season foods, or expect food to be perfectly shaped, beautifully coloured, and should last in our fridges for a month or so.
Do we lay blame at the feet of gigantic corporations?
Pelt blame at governing bodies?
Or do we make a conscious decision every single day, from this day forward, to buy food that is good for our health?
Can we turn back the clock? Probably not, but we can change the way our food is grown…one field at a time.