natalian archives 2010 02 02

Organic food is immoral

4 comments

Quality food

The Soil association would have us believe that organic food is "planet-friendly" (whatever the hell that means) and ensures the food you eat is nutrient rich.

Excuse me, how did you miss this scientific report affirming that organic food is no more nutritious than any other food!?

Friends do not buy organic food. By buying organic food you are only supporting poorly cultivated crops. Why support this inefficient unscientific dogma of "organic food", forcing the price of food up when there are millions starving in the world?

I'm all for better quality food, though do not sell it to me as organic.

Comments

comment 1

You've completely ignored exactly 50% of their two points. Can you argue that oragnic food is not better for the environment? How can it not be with chemicals not entering the soil/food chain.

Also, I'm not sure the amount of food produced in the UK is that important, we have a surplus here and surely don't contribute much to the world supply.

Comment by jamiekitson [myopenid.com]

2 points rebutted

Firstly the worst offender described by the Soil Association is nitrogen!

Also if you supported scientific GM food advancements where crops are typically engineered to become disease/pest/drought resistant, farmers could reduce the need for "chemicals" and pesticides.

Your second argument about UK surplus is alarming. Are we are so rich we can afford to have poor yields? Are we so rich we can afford to be wasteful? Many countries in this world rely on foreign food imports.

Comment by hendry [iki.fi]

comment 3

  1. erm, yes?
  2. Unfortunately we live in a capitalist world, GM crops are crippled by design, for example, to only last one year.
  3. Yes, and we are a tiny population in a tiny country. Also, your "wasteful" is subjective.
Comment by jamiekitson [myopenid.com]

crippled by design

The reason why I understand that GM crops are "crippled by design", i.e. do not seed is primarily so they do not reproduce and spread like wildfire. It's a sensible protection mechanism.

Despite our best intentions when we have introduced new plants or animals, things can go wrong. I think of Australia and its outbreaks of rabbits and what not as an example.

Hence I think this precautionary approach of GM food is fine and I prefer it over something they can ravage the world like some grey goo. Critics argue all the power goes to the "multinational agricultural biotechnology corporations". Oh pretty please. I guess the same people have no problem with Apple or Google or Microsoft.

Plus I prefer my citrus fruit without pips. Don't you?

Btw I don't think Britain is "tiny". West Sussex exports grain. I support technology to improve our productivity.

Comment by hendry [iki.fi]

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