Organic, Regenerative or GM?

There is a lot of choice in the supermarket in the Western world. Cheap products, the store’s own version of ‘finest’ product, organic products (sometimes) but have you ever seen the term ‘regenerative’?

I aim to give an overview about each, providing you with information so that you can make an informed decision when buying your produce in the future.

Why am I so interested? Well, it all started when I was living abroad and there was a huge landfill that I had to drive past on my way to yoga. It was HUGE and it stank because it was a hot country. There was no recycling on the island, and it drove me NUTS. If I had stayed longer, which in retrospect I wish I had, then I would have got seriously involved and tried my darndest to sort it out. It was during my time on the island that I became very interested in all things farming and where my food was coming from. Apart from one farm, and some local chicken eggs, everything was flown on to the island - you could even buy Waitrose products! I listened to podcasts and attended online summits in my spare time, and grew to really love the subject. It has subsequently become one of my bug bears, and my aim in life is to help people understand the difference and be able to choose from a place of knowledge, rather than as a result of clever marketing

What is GM?
Wasn’t Genetically Modified (GM) food better for the environment and going to prevent world hunger? These were two of the main reasons GM crops started to become supported by everyday people a few decades ago. But did you know that GM crops were all about the money and not about health, world poverty or anything else?

Genetic Modification is the direct manipulation of genes that takes place in a laboratory, i.e. it is completely anti-Darwinism/natural evolution. Genes are taken from different food groups/creatures and spliced together by a scientist in order to produce crops that are genetically identical, more resistant to travelling large distances, more resistant to disease and pests etc. 

Did you know that genes from bacteria or frogs can be spliced into plant chromosomes depending on the desired quality? Strange thought for Vegans who don’t buy non-GM.

Did you know that there is a “Terminator Gene” that means crops die after one generation thereby forcing farmers to buy more seeds year on year rather than the traditional method of crop rotation and seed-saving? It is actually against the law to save seeds in many places because it diddles the seed-provider (e.g. Monsanto) out of his yearly sale. So much for helping out farmers in poorer countries.

So what do we do? First step - go backwards…

It makes no evolutionary sense to use GM crops so we must protect our traditional farmers - those who are using natural pesticides, natural herbicides, crop rotation, pasture rotation and seed-saving to support the land they are farming. This is the crux of “Regenerative” farming. Regenerative farming can be organic or not, but either way it is better for the environment than non-regenerative farming. It is possible to be labelled “Organic” but NOT be regenerative and vice versa, so I suggest you plump for regenerative. It is hard work! These farmers work bloody hard and we owe them the extra few pennies per item for their toil. Farming (cattle) in a regenerative way sequesters (removes) more carbon into the soil than is produced. That means that cattle actually HELP with climate change, as long as they are farmed regeneratively.

Perhaps you remember in Biology at school, learning that legumes fix nitrogen into the soil? Or perhaps you have noticed that nothing really grows in a field once it has had years of daffodils growing there. This is an example of how nature works - showing that certain plants will add to the soil and certain ones will take. Crop rotation ensures that we have a good mix of adding and taking away in a mutually beneficial manner. Add in the benefits of natural fertilizers from livestock and you’re really onto a winner.

What’s in it for the consumer?

Non-GM food tastes amazing and its nutritional benefits are bottomless… there really is no reason to buy GM produce! I dare you to buy some ‘real’ carrots next time you are in store. Compare a real carrot (most likely with tops, different sizes, a bit wonky) with a regular carrot (usually fat and straight) and prepare to have your taste buds tickled. And if you wait until carrots are in season, boy you are in for a treat! Same goes for meat - I would encourage you to give up all supermarket meat and go to a butcher, if not local there are plenty online e.g. The Ethical Butcher who deliver beautiful produce to your door.

Here’s the twist
IRONICALLY, in order to save artisan products, we should buy MORE of them rather than preserve them - how many endangered things can you say that about? So support your local farmers who are doing their bit for the environment - the more you buy from them, the more they can carry on with their good deeds. Our wildlife will thrive, and you will feel good from the inside out.

Photograph credit: Werner Stevenson from Unsplash