Hi YouTubers.
I’m Al Gracian from Albopepper.com.
As gardeners, we often have an enhanced awareness of pesticides, herbicides and issues surrounding
GMOs.
On my channel, it's not uncommon to see people lashing out against corporations like Monsanto
and even some of its business partners.
Ultimately though, why are we so passionate about agricultural practices?
Isn't it out of concern for our planet, the animals living on it and our own well being
as humans?
In particular, what loving parent doesn't want their kids to be safe and healthy?
That's why many home gardeners go completely organic.
Or at a bare minimum, we at least avoid using toxic pesticides and herbicides.
Thinking about herbicides, the most notorious is undoubtedly: Roundup.
Is glyphosate really so bad?
Does buying Organic really matter, or is that just marketing hype?
And what about that NonGMO label?
Is NonGMO the same as Organic?
We're going to dive into that.
And we'll look at a common cereal grain that has come under the scrutiny of both parents
and environmental organizations.
To start off with, what does GMO even mean?
According to the World Health Organization: Genetically modified organisms "can be defined
as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does
not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination."
Remember, the methods used are outside of those that occur in nature.
So selecting seeds from a grain to get plumper, fuller grain heads in the next generation
of crops is NOT genetic engineering.
That's artificial selection.
And cross-pollinating two different types of tomatoes does NOT result in a GMO.
It creates a hybrid.
Listen, don't allow GMO advocates to muddy the waters and try to redefine GMOs.
The ancient Aztecs weren't making GMO corn 4400 years ago.
This misinformation tactic is designed to remove the stigma surrounding the idea of
GMOs.
But hey, we're smarter than that?
Right?
In fact, we're probably smart enough to stop and ask: "Are GMOs even that bad?"
Disease resistance is good right?
What about drought tolerance or increased yield?
It's really hard to find any conclusive evidence that eating a GMO crop poses actual health
risks.
Sure, if you're a corn worm munching on some GMO corn that was spliced with Bt bacteria,
the proteins in those kernels are gonna kill ya!
But it seems that in humans, we would be ok.
There is ONE extremely common GMO trait that has caused major issues though: Herbicide
Tolerance.
The inclusion of this genetic trait continues to rise.
This is where Roundup enters the picture.
And this is where our health may be under threat.
As gardeners, we understand that weeds compete with our crops.
In industrial fields, the easiest way to control weeds is to spray them with herbicides.
This works between crop cycles.
But what about weeds growing in amongst your corn or soybeans?
Roundup would kill the weeds, but your crops as well.
Well... not ALL crops.
Herbicide Tolerant (HT) crops would survive, despite being bathed in plant poison.
And THIS is where GMOs have truly posed a threat to our health.
Researchers studied soy crops to measure the chemical residues left behind by RoundUp applications.
Here are the residues left behind on organic crops.
Now with conventional crops, round up was applied in between plantings.
And this is how much residue made its way into the final crop.
But now, what about GMO?
These were HT Soy plants.
They were able to be sprayed directly with RoundUp.
And THIS was the resulting contamination:
Whether they were conventionally grown or organic, BOTH cultivation methods came up
clean.
But that was NOT the case with GMO soy and its direct Roundup applications.
This is just one example of the advantages of buying a NonGMO product.
Without being able to splice in that herbicide tolerant gene, farmers just can't spray Roundup
onto their crops, not without injuring those plants.
Thus, THIS label seems to be quite helpful: the Non-GMO Project.
A third-party, product verification service.
This nonprofit organization allows its logo to appear on products that are free of GMOs.
It's such a great tool for consumers who don't want to support genetic engineering of crops.
That means you can avoid HT corn or soy reducing your exposure to glyphosate (the active component
in RoundUp).
Should we really be concerned about glyphosate though?
If it was so dangerous, wouldn't the EPA and FDA step in to protect consumers?
As interesting as it may be to discuss political corruption and various conspiracy theories,
I'm going to side step that for this video.
Instead, allow me to cite two alternate authorities and what their take is on glyphosate.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, issued a report labeling
the weed killer glyphosate a "probable carcinogen."
This is The World Health Organization's cancer agency.
You can read the details of that report in the link in the description.
Also, a time-line of relevant rebuttals.
Next, the state of California has listed glyphosate as a carcinogen under state law Proposition
65.
And in the Summer of 2018 a court ruled against Monsanto.
A grounds keeper won a lawsuit after contracting non-hodgkins lymphoma, the cancer that he
says resulted from exposure to roundup.
Not enough evidence to raise concerns?
Well, don't forget how glyphosate got it's start.
In 1964 it was patented as a chelating agent.
You see the chemical will bind to and remove minerals like calcium, magnesium, manganese,
copper, and zinc.
Could this impact nutrient absorption if it entered our intestines?
And keep this in mind: In 2010 Monsanto was granted a patent to use glyphosate in an anti-microbial
formulation.
If a chemical has the potential to act as an anti-biotic, what impact might that have
on our beneficial gut bacteria?
Today we’re becoming ever more concerned over the health of our microbiome.
Limiting needless exposure to all anti-biotic compounds sure makes sense to me.
There is one final consideration: Roundup and glyphosate are not the same thing.
Glyphosate is the active chemical.
But the Roundup formulation contains additional compounds.
And research shows that Roundup is always more toxic than its active ingredient in isolation.
So if we just make sure to buy foods with that Non-GMO Project, then we should be ok,
right?
...No!
Long before GMOs were being cultivated, synthetic pesticides and herbicides were being used
in agriculture.
And they’re still used, even on Non-GMO crops!
We know spraying roundup on non-resistant plants can kill them.
But want if you actually WANT that crop to dry out so it can be quickly harvested and
brought to market?
The practice is called pre-harvest herbicide application.
For example 7 to 10 days before harvest, applying roundup to wheat helps the grain to ripen
more evenly.
It can also help a crop to ripen sooner if bad weather threatens to damage it.
Slightly different from, but related to 'desiccation', Pre-Harvest Glyphosate Application reduces
plant vegetation, making it easier for farm machinery to be used.
So even many Non-GMO crops are routinely sprayed!
This 2015 memorandum from the EPA shows a rather extensive list of crops.
And this list has grown from previous years.
What does that mean for us as consumers?
While this Non-GMO label IS useful... it's certainly not enough!
Non-GMO crops are not necessarily free from synthetic pesticides & herbicides.
To find such crops, we need to opt for Organics!
That's where it's at.
And if the product does say USDA Organic, then it also must be Non-GMO.
So you don't have to worry about that aspect of things, as long as you get organic.
Unfortunately, the Non-GMO label can become a smoke screen, distracting us from the larger
issue of glyphosate contamination.
Seeing this label might make us feel safe.
Meanwhile we may be feeding contaminated foods to our families.
This has come to light in a class-action lawsuit against General Mills, the maker of Cheerios.
EWG (The Environmental Working Group) had a variety of oat based products tested and
they found glyphosate in many "Non-GMO" products.
Things parents would feed their kids, thinking it was healthy.
But the ORGANIC products were the safest ones, often with NO Detectable levels.
Does it really matter though?
All this buying organic stuff?
Look at this study conducted on elementary children who were fed a conventional diet.
Here are the levels of pesticide in their urine.
Now switch them to organic and this happens.
Back to non-organic.
And again organic.
What do YOU want to feed YOUR kids?
Sure, the nutritional content might be the same between organic and conventional.
But when considering pesticides... organic makes a difference!
This USDA organic label, really encompasses a broad range of criteria.
Some factors are great.
Some are not as important.
But until food producers begin disclosing exactly which pesticides have been applied
to their products, this label is our safest bet for reducing exposure to synthetic pesticides
and herbicides.
Can't afford to buy all organics?
EWG has a list of the "dirty dozen".
Those fruits and veggies that have the highest levels of pesticide residue.
Maybe start with these.
Meanwhile the "clean fifteen" are least contaminated.
Check out their website to learn more!
And remember to rinse your fruits and veggies very well under running water.
This by itself will help out.
Wanna know a tip to make your own vegetable wash for even better results?
These researchers found a 10% salt water solution to be very effective.
Just mix 1 part salt with 9 parts water.
Soak the produce for 20 minutes.
And then rinse thoroughly with tap water.
I wouldn't do this to spinach.
But something like apples or grapes makes a lot of sense!
Of course here at Albopepper, I'm a big advocate for growing your OWN food.
But what if you can’t find or afford organic oatmeal?
Should you just cut it out of your diet?
Absolutely not!
The benefit far outweighs the risk, especially when you consider what you might replace those
calories with.
The same can be said of your fruits and your veggies.
We need to keep eating more of these not less.
This study looked at different contaminants: PCBs & Dioxins.
And look at the food sources that contained the highest levels.
Clearly, reducing reliance on animal products can also be a good strategy for reducing exposure
to toxins.
So don’t be afraid of your fruits and veggies and whole grains.
Pick the cleanest options you can get, remembering that Organics do offer some benefits.
What are your thoughts on organic?
Have you started to switch when feasible?
Do you think that the organic standards need an overhaul?
Do you grow certain crops just to avoid safety issues?
I have all relevant links in the description below.
If this info has helped you out, please give it a thumbs up and please, please share it
on social media!
Don't let this info get buried under a mountain of cat videos.
Thanks for taking time to watch.