Demystifying Agricultural Misconceptions in our Food Systems

By Lauren Harrison

Only about 1% of the American population produces food and fiber for the country today. National Farm Workers Day recognizes the hard work that farmers and farm hands do endlessly in order to ensure food is provided across the country. It can be easy to overlook the immense dedication that goes into cultivating our entire food system straight from the land. This blog post is meant to highlight the agricultural practices and farm workers for all of their importance, as well as demystify common misconceptions about agricultural practices influencing how we perceive nutrition and health.

The majority of Americans are three or more generations removed from farming and agricultural practices and have no firsthand knowledge regarding production of food. This contributes to an increasing confusion about food and nutrition in today’s society. What comes from this confusion is misinformation distributed about the ways food is grown and produced and the effects on nutrition and food safety.

There are so many myths that exist around common and regulated agricultural practices and how they relate to the food we eat. The problem with these misconceptions and fear mongering from wellness culture is that they can fuel eating disorders and perpetuate societal panic around food. Let’s review some common myths when it comes to agriculture and food so we can set the record straight:

Myth #1: Organic is safer/healthier

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic seal placed on a product simply means that the food was produced using the predefined organic standards required for that specific food product. This usually revolves around factors such as soil quality, how animals are raised, and pest/weed control. Something that might be shocking to learn is that organic foods can still include both Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and pesticide usage. The current and existing evidence has not defined any added health benefits of organic food consumption, as organic merely refers to the production of the food, not the innate nutritional content of a food. This means it does not change the nutritional value of the food, therefore debunking the organic health myth.

Myth #2: Pesticides are Unsafe

Pesticides are a variety of substances used for killing and warding off insects to ensure adequate growth and yield of a crop. Part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) assessment of health risks of pesticides is determining that there is reasonable certainty of no harm posed by pesticide residues allowed to remain on food. The EPA sets limits on how each pesticide may be used, how often, in what quantities, etc. With food, there are many trials combined with consumer practice information to determine the amount of pesticide used on the crop that will lead to safe and minimal levels of residue remaining at the time of consumption. People also assume that organic food means it is pesticide-free, when this is not the case. There are many pesticides and insecticide ingredients, both natural and synthetic, that are approved for usage in organic agriculture. The bottom line: pesticides are regulated so that residue is non toxic to human consumption, and it cannot be avoided by choosing organic foods.

Myth #3: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are Inherently Bad

Genetically modified organisms are plants, animals, or microorganisms that have had their DNA altered using technology involving DNA modification and may include gene insertions from other sources or deletions of specific genes. While this may sound weird, what this technology does is allow crops to survive better in weather conditions and help with insect resistance, even reducing the quantity of pesticides needed. It can also help farmers do less tilling and therefore have an overall beneficial effect on the environment. While GMOs have altered DNA, the inherent nutrition content remains the same in the food. With this being said, most domestically produced crops are not GMO derived. The truth is, there is actually a limited list of foods that are available in GMO form (seriously, it’s less than 15 foods).

Myth #4: Organic is Synonymous with Natural

Organic does not mean the same thing as natural. The FDA’s definition of natural is, ‘Nothing artificial or synthetic has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food.’ This has to do with recipes involved in making foods from ingredients whereas organic has to do with farming techniques, so these concepts are unrelated. In fact, there are no regulations on GMOs or pesticides in natural foods for that reason.

Taking the Fear out of Food

The amount of false claims floating around the media about agricultural effects on food is endless. What all these claims have in common usually is marketing, using buzz words to make products seem more health promoting than others, when in reality, it is just a more expensive version of the same food. There are many things we can learn from farm workers and those involved in agricultural practices. Education is key, and the more we learn about the root of our food, the less we need to fear it and the more we can relax, follow our intuition, and even learn to enjoy it–and appreciate those responsible for our food systems a little bit more!

References:

D. A. Tigue. (2017). General Public Education of Food Myths and Urban Legends: Hormones, Antibiotics and GMOs (D. A. Tigue, L. Kriese-Anderson, & R. Pacumbaba, Trans.). Meat and Muscle Biology, v. 1(3), 21–21. PubAg. https://doi.org/10.221751/rmc2017.020

Human Health Issues Related to Pesticides. (2015, August 11). https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-science-and-assessing-pesticide-risks/human-health-issues-related-pesticides

List of Bioengineered Foods | Agricultural Marketing Service. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/be/bioengineered-foods-list

McEvoy, Miles. “Understanding the USDA Organic Label.” USDA, 2 Aug. 2021, https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/07/2 2/understanding-usda-organic-label.

Nutrition, C. for F. S. and A. (2023). How GMO Crops Impact Our World. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/how-gmo-crops-impact-our-world

The list of organic pesticides approved by the USDA. (2019, August 24). AGDAILY. https://www.agdaily.com/technology/the-list-of-pesticides-approved-for-organic-production/

7 CFR Part 205 Subpart G — Administrative. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-M/part-205/subpart-G