Given the Power of the GMO Industrial Complex, the Survival of Organic Cannot be Taken for Granted

(Former USDA official Greg Ibach testifying at a House subcommittee hearing about the possibility of gene editing in organic.)

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After our last story on robotics and artificial intelligence in organic, we received feedback that compelled us to have a further conversation about the topic.

Some people were aghast that we would see this technological advancement as a good thing for our industry, and they intimated that laborers who have a deep love and admiration for the earth should be the only ones touching the soil — and pulling weeds.

In an ideal world, I do not disagree. That would be preferable and phenomenal. And the same goes with having nothing but small organic farmers feeding the entire country.

Since our founding, Organic Insider has been a tireless and unrelenting advocate for small organic dairy and soil-grown organic produce. For years, we have taken the USDA to task for turning a blind eye to organic factory dairy farms and allowing hydroponics in organic, both of which have devastated small organic farmers who follow the letter and spirit of the law.

Yet, in order for our industry to survive and thrive — and make organic accessible and affordable for everyone — the price of organic must be competitive with conventional, all done without sacrificing our values, principles and standards. This will require the participation from both small and large organic farms.

As such, producing organic at scale means acknowledging and addressing the incredibly serious problem of the cost and availability of labor, and that is why the possibility of AI-robots taking on some, or all, of these tasks must be embraced. Not doing so will endanger our future.

Here is what keeps us up at night, namely the existential headwinds facing the organic industry. This is not speculation and hypothetical. The threats are real and ongoing.

• The U.S. will risk a full-blown trade war for Mexico not accepting our GMOs, something that demonstrates how badly it wants GMOs to dominate around the globe.
• A senior USDA official testified at a House subcommittee hearing that we should be considering gene-editing (GMO 2.0) in organic.
• We have members of the National Organic Standards Board who were frustrated that discussions about allowing GMOs in organic were not taking place.
• The country’s largest organic trade show not only advocates for GMO 2.0 foods, but at its 2022 keynote address, we were told that the only way we are going to feed the world is through lab-grown meat.
• We are now being constantly lied to by the media and corporations that gene-edited foods (genetically-engineered foods) are Non-GMO.

If anyone believes that the U.S. government would care if organic were wiped off the map, all a person has to do is look at how it stood by and continues to allow chemical companies to contaminate the bodies of American citizens.

Glyphosate — The most heavily-used agricultural chemical in the history of the world, it has been called a “probable human carcinogen” by the World Health Organization and is linked to cancer, liver disease, microbiome disruption and many other health ailments. In tests last year, glyphosate was found in 99% of pregnant women.

PFAS — Also known as “forever chemicals,” Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of manufactured chemicals and are commonly found in household products, including non-stick cookware. Some PFAS have been linked to cancer, birth defects, liver disease and many other health ailments. Studies show that PFAS was found in 99% of the population and that more than 200 million Americans could have PFAS in their drinking water.

What all of this evidence points to is that the GMO/chemical industrial complex wields the power, ability and ambition to take over every single aspect of our food supply, and the only way that organic survives in the long-term is if we can be cost-competitive with conventional.

So, if AI-robots are one way to deal with the massive labor problems that we have in organic — a barrier to lower prices — this is something that we simply cannot afford to dismiss.

With gratitude, Max Goldberg, Founder