Troubling news about organic products. Even if the label states the product is produced in the U.S., its components may be produced overseas. Please beware of any product, even non-organic, produced in China. From what I have read, their food safety standards are low and are not closely monitored by the U.S.

www.cornucopia.org/2014/01/overseas-companies-fake-organic-certificates/

streetwalker wrote:
We need to get back to making and buying everything here! I believe in our people and I know we can get this ship turned around:)

We currently raise all of our meat and veggies. Buying from grocery stores you truly do not know what you are getting. Everyone should really try this.

We only buy from sources that we have researched and we trust. Otherwise, we grow it ourselves or trade with friends who've grown it. IMHO, the government can't really be trusted when it comes to the food supply. It's all about money unfortunately.

AdminEric wrote:
Where they are failing we will succeed brotha!! Look how far we've come:)

Hi all

It's great to stand up for what you think is right, but what I've read is even more troubling. It seems that the one true study on GMO grains was done with rats that get cancerous tumors after 18 months just being pets or control rats, and the rats used were over 14 months old when the study started. Less than fair or good info to be basing a lot of the noise about. Also, the half life of pesticides and herbicides is troubling when you consider that you only have to not use any for 3 yrs to qualify for organic. And, the half lives double in water, so any watering done on an "organic" farm from reservoirs, then there is a real chance of even DDT in the water used. Especially is any of the sediment is disturbed to widen areas for docks and marinas.
So, growing your own and doing your best to understand what could be there will go a long way in obtaining what you are striving for. Oh, and organic honey is always questionable simply because of how far the bees fly in search of nectar and pollen.

Hi Angela_2008,

I'm not sure I entirely understood your response to this post. The purpose of my post was to alert fellow members that food labeled "organic" may contain components from other countries that don't follow the U.S. standards for organic and may contain other harmful components. Many "organic" components originate in China. China is well know for ignoring agricultural "hygiene" and environmental ethics. In other words, you simple cannot trust anything these days.

GMO food products is an entirely different subject that I am qualified to debate with you, but perhaps we should save it for a separate discussion thread.

Regarding organic honey, you are correct to a certain degree. Bees have a range of a 2 mile radius. If their hive is placed within an area that includes a 2 mile radius of only organic produce, they don't have access to golf courses, and possibly tainted water sources and the hives are not treated with pesticides, their honey can be considered "organic". I practice organic gardening at my home, but my "girl's" honey cannot be labeled organic, because of my neighbors non-organic practices.

The more important problem is that there is a black market that illegally transports honey from Asian countries, such as China, where the organic standards are not adhered to and where many pollutants are present in the illegal honey. Also, Chinese honey is often diluted with high fructose corn syrup.

There was a well document case in which German investors facilitated the transport and sale of millions of dollars of illegal Chinese honey to the U.S. Ever wonder what is really on your Honey Nut Cheerios?

I understand what you say, but my point was that GMO is not all bad and all the critiques of it has to be investigated properly before assigning a label on it.
On bees and honey though, even using petroleum on an organic farm technically should knock it out of the organic status, diesel exhaust will put 10 times the normal amount of heavy metals into plants and thus the honey (not to mention the cancerous components). Importation of products also affects bees, downstream as it were, by ending up in foods we may put scraps of in the compost and pet foods. All of which can end up in pollen and nectar (somethings persist for a long time before being broken down). So, it;s not just the GMO that is the problem but society and what they overlook.

Hi Angela_2088,

I continue to disagree with you regarding GMO/GE and honey production. BTW, I'm a beekeeper. These, however, are not the subject of this post. It's about the undisclosed importation of food products from other countries that don't have the same quality standards as the U.S. I, and probably other members, would enjoy a lively debate on the merits and perils of GMO/GE food and its labeling. You may want to create a separate post to get the debate going.

Cheryl

Angela, you do know this site is geared toward organic growing and our minds are made up on GMO's and there safety. It may be that Monsanto has a forum you can join?

Admin Matt