GMO – perhaps no other acronym incites the ire of organic producers more. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are relentlessly troublesome for organic producers and yet they remain a domineering feature of agribusiness conglomerates. As agriculture becomes increasingly immersed in globalized trade, these conglomerates gain more and more control over the global food system despite their implementation of genetically modified inputs into food production. Indeed over the years GMOs have become a force to be reckoned with. From the contamination of Saskatchewan canola fields to the impending introduction of genetically modified alfalfa, GMOs threaten traditional agriculture and the biodiversity of the land. For centuries, organic farms have controlled the erosion of biodiversity, limiting the negative effects of climate change. Maintaining seed varieties as well as natural (contamination-free) production conditions is essential not only to organic farmers but to the integrity of the global food system as a whole.
Article by Angela Sawatzky
