Molokai Mom on a Mission: Eating Organic
Community Contributed
Opinion by Mercy Ritte
What does “organic” mean?
There are basically three ways that crops are produced: using agro-biotechnology, conventional techniques and organic methods. Comparing the three will give us a better sense of what “organic” means.
1. Agro-biotechnology involves genetically engineering or modifying a living organism (GMO) by inserting it with a new gene from another species. This method of farming also uses chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides to produce crops.
2. Conventional farming may not use GMO seeds. However chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are used to manage plant growth, pests and weeds.
3. Organic farming uses manure and compost to fertilize the soil, beneficial insects, birds and traps to manage pests, rotate crops, hand weed or mulch.
The U.C. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program defines organic as, “Food produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.”
Is organic food healthy for my family?
Yes! Eating organic food is the best option for your family. Not only is it more nutritious and sprayed with less or no chemicals, but it will also eliminate having to question what’s in your food.
Why is organic food so expensive?
The main reason organic food costs more is because organic farmers do not receive subsidies from the government to grow their crops, whereas agro-biotechnology farmers are greatly subsidized. This means that agro-biotechnology farmers get paid taxpayer dollars to produce food cheaply with little or no testing for environmental safety and human consumption.
How can I eat organic food?
If eating organic food on a daily basis is just not in your budget, start small. Try committing to purchasing one item a week that’s organic, like a bag of organic apples or pears from Outpost Natural Foods. Replace an ingredient or two in a recipe with a healthier, organic one. Maybe grow a pot of organic lettuce or tomatoes in your yard. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
GMO FREE RECIPE:
Seasoned Popcorn (Shared by Julie Turner)
Ingredients:
Organic Popcorn (Outpost)
Nutritional Yeast Seasoning (Outpost, FMC)
Garlic Powder
Real Salt (Outpost)
Coconut Oil (Outpost, FMC)
Directions:
First, follow the instructions included in your popcorn maker. I purchased a Presto Poplite hot air popper from Takes Variety Store.
After filling a 4-quart size bowl of air popped popcorn, lightly mist it with any preferred cooking oil, except for GMO canola or cottonseed oil. Personally, I like the flavor of olive or coconut oil. Mix it thoroughly with your hands or a spoon. Next, sprinkle on the nutritional yeast seasoning, garlic powder and salt to your liking. Enjoy!
For a free sample of this scrumptious snack and a refreshing fruit smoothie (bananas donated by Kualapu`u Market and papayas donated by Kumu Farms), please come by Kualapu`u Market on Friday, June 22 at 5 p.m.
5 Comments
Real Hawaiians have come to appreciate that popcorn tastes best with a little butter and seasoning salt. An article on organic eating that is bolstered by a recipe for popcorn – should have been in the comedy section. At least I got a chuckle out of it. Most of the world doesn’t have the luxury of a 12 month growing season like Molokai. And they certainly don’t care much about organic produce when they view the emaciated bodies of their children. For people like them – the Monsanto’s of this world are their hope for the future – to rid their crops of disease – pests – and slim production.
We once HAD the world pretty much under control, the USA used sprays. The indecticides, saved millions of lives, from malaria, and many diseases. Kept the grasshoppers form completally wiping out our main crops. I can understand completally your opinion on growing food faster, and better. The problem is,WHY are WE feedoing the world?? And who are WE? Its not me, nor is it most of the people who wish to be GMO free, and raise natural crops. The GMO crops, are being FORCED unpon a free people. Most fail to meantion, it GMO will lead to complete CONTROL of the worlds food, and he who controls the food, controls all. We the people, understand insecticides are bulit into the Nonsato crops..gee, that would mean, im eating insecticide perhaps. The seeds will not germinate..gee, MUST buy myn seeds from Monsato. And from several studies, these new pplants are missing some natural items, like selenium, to meantion one.Many of us feel strongly, that it is unwise, to alter our food. But we run into EXACTALLTY that attitude ‘for people like them? Well our answer, it take the crops to “people like them” becuase we dont want the. Monsato, has hidden so miuch. IF tyhere is nothing wrong with GMO plants, WHY wont MONSATO invite the public, to understand the proccess fully, I assure you, there are many who are intelligent enough to understand. Why is the obesity rate so high in the USA? And why the disease, these crops are supposed to prevent, becoming more prevelant in the USA? It may sound cruel, but not really, let THEM gtrow GMO cropds, the main thing in all this, is ones FREEDOM to eat what one wishes, without government telling them they cant. And Monsato, is definattally a large contributer, to the politic area in this nation.The government, and so many othjers, who have a stake in the stocks of Monsato, have YET to PROOVE to the people, that these crops are not harmfull.We are now, through several thousand sites, promoting the labeling of ALL GMO foods. We should, after all, be able to chose what we eat. Most of the third world crops would be pest free, if the tree huggers, didnt ban pestisides.The long term stustanablity, of modern farming, is not feasabe, even the bible saiys to leyt the land rest one year in seven[proved by the way, to regenerate the soil] Organic farming, IS farming, the way its been done for centuries, until the last half century, the world has never seen genetically “mutated ” plants. With no longterm foresite, into the heath risks, it is taking a VERY big chance with the future of the planet. In the USA mainland, millions upon millions of tons of crops are “plowed under” each year, so there was ALREADY enough food, but the methanol scam, and the move to push free farmers form the face of the earth, and “economics” has put money and profits, before common sense. as for myself, and millions, [that think] we want to stick with the original seeds, peroid. Im glad franan feels for the world, seriousl;y, and wants to ensure no more starvation, but it is NOT us, who were starving, but it may be in the future, there are many of us, who feel we should take care of ourselves first, before we attempt to fix the world. Its very simple, many of us feel, man has no place geniticly changing our food supply, or at the very least, we should have a choice, in what we eat, and told the truth, about the problems, genetically altered plants could cause. For every post, all across the world, those against monsato, far outnumber, those for.Kinda like a tyrannical government, people dont like it.As Loke said, there is an ABUNDANCE of evidence, against monsato, enough to place severe doubt in any mind, if that mind works.Someone else had said, in another post, that the bees are gone…IF the bees are gone,, that is in the face [roof, that these crops are a great danger, for the bee, is one indicator, that something is very wrong.
I’m a “REAL” Hawaiian, so Please don’t speak for me!. Once again you are spouting off misinformation while belittling the Hawaiian People.
Really the comedy section? This isn’t a laughing matter, Mercy is a “Real Hawaiian” who is spending her time offering MEANINGFUL healthy eating solutions to a community that suffers from and are DIEING from High blood pressure, diabetes, and cancers.
Your attitude is nothing more than part of the ever growing problem. It’s not hard for you to do a little research on Monsanto and come up with true facts.
THE CENTER OF FOOD SAFETY REPORT
False Promises and Failed Technologies
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/GMO-EMPEROR-FINAL-10-11.pdf
Failure to Yield
Contrary to the claim of feeding the world, genetic engineering has not increased the yield of a single crop. Navdanya’s research in India has shown that contrary to Monsanto’s claim of Bt cotton yield of 1500 kg per acre, the reality is that the yield is an average of 400-500 kg per acre.
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Failed Technology: GE crops do not control pests and weeds,
they create super pests and super weeds
Herbicide tolerant (Roundup Ready) crops were supposed to control weeds and Bt crops were intended to control pests. Instead of controlling weeds and pests, GE crops have led to the emergence of super weeds and super pests.
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Reduced Use of Chemicals
Despite claims that genetically modified organisms
(GMOs) will lower the levels of chemicals
(pesticides and herbicides) used, this has not been
the case. This is of great concern both because
of the negative impacts of these chemicals on
ecosystems and humans, and because there is the
danger that increased chemical use will cause pests
and weeds to develop resistance, requiring even
more chemicals in order to manage them.
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Monsanto Puts Small Farmers Out of Business
100s of American farmers have been sued. Century-old seed stocks were destroyed. 100,000s of Indian farmers commit suicide by drinking monsanto’s RoundUp herbicide after massive GMO crop failures bankrupted them. Monsanto uses the courts aggressively
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Monsanto Guilty of False Advertising & Scientific FRAUD
France’s highest court ruled in 2009 that Monsanto had lied about the safety of its weed killer Roundup. The court confirmed an earlier judgment that Monsanto had falsely advertised its herbicide as “biodegradable”.
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On two occasions, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has caught scientists deliberately falsifying test results at research laboratories hired by Monsanto to study glyphosate.[57][58][59] In the first incident involving Industrial Biotest Laboratories, an EPA reviewer stated after finding “routine falsification of data” that it was “hard to believe the scientific integrity of the studies when they said they took specimens of the uterus from male rabbits”
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I can go on and on, but I think there is an abundant of evidence that disproves your “Monsanto talking points”
@Mercy , Mahalo Nui for your time and effort put in to research for these informative articles!!
Said it well Loke, perfect. The truth always wins.
Lastley, all anyone has to do, is follow the money trail….5.3 million in lobby money [last year on the books] Monsatos politic influance, includes the FDA, the USDA and the EPA, all who have a say, in IF you are told what is in your food, and how it is labelled, if the voice of the people nationwide, was listen to, these GMO crops would NOT be growing.Monsantos interests in Washinton are diverse. The American reseach and competitive act [of 2011], reduces the taxes on Monsato. There is evidence of “cooperation” between federal regulators, and the biotect industry, that cross the moral lines. “Patent” laws are preventing private firms, from investigating and testing Monsantos crops. Strangly, NO one in the government agencies, has conducted rigorous long term safety studies on genetically engineered foods. And something to think aboput, genetically altered foods, cannot co exist, with organic or convetional crops, contamination occurs. Get ahold of “tanseed”, if you want to buy traditional seeds. Many are now awre, of the long term plan, and many more each day, awakening to the realities of GMO food. Next, Monsato has its sights on Africa, and will most certainly decimate organic crops, replaced by GMO crops.The American Academy of Envirormental Medicine, has called upon all physicians, to have their sick patients, to have a GMO free diet.Sadly, in the world now, money dictates how things are done.look for the “organic consumers association” on facebook, much info there.This year, California, has on the ballot, to make sure all GMO products are labeled, we will see what happens.There is so much more, all facts, but im tired. aloha