Food Facts vs Fiction Central Technology Center Drumright

Food Facts vs. Fiction Central Technology Center Drumright, OK Trey Malone @treymalone 3 Ph. D Candidate Department of Agricultural Economics Oklahoma State University December 8, 2016

Outline 1. About me 2. What you need to know ØGMOs ØOrganic Foods ØLocal Foods ØLabeling ØEggs 3. Questions and Answers December 8, 2016 2

About me • Ph. D in Agricultural Economics (2017 Expected) • Research focused on behavioral economics • How perceptions shape choices • From small-town Kansas • Family ranch in Laverne, OK • Recently accepted a position at Michigan State University December 8, 2016 3

It took years of this… December 8, 2016 4

… to get us to this. December 8, 2016 5

What is a GMO? December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 6

What is a GMO? “A GMO is not a single type of crop nor is it a crop variety – it is technique (or tool) that can be used in many different ways for many different purposes. ” December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 7

What is a GMO? • HT varieties • cotton, corn, soybeans, canola, sugar beet, alfalfa • BT varieties − corn, cotton • Virus resistant varieties − squash, papaya • Developed but not on market − Golden rice, Flavr Savr tomato, Arctic apple, safer non-browning potato, Aqu. Advantage salmon, omega 3 soybeans, high lysine corn/soy • Pharmaceuticals A GMO is not a single thing – it’s many, many things! December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 8

December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 9

Why are crops genetically modified? • Protect yield and quality • To speed up crop breeding practices • To encourage adoption of no-till technology • Some can allow farmers to control weeds without having to disturb the soil through tillage • Improve shelf life to reduce food waste • Improve nutrition: • Golden rice, a GMO variety that produces beta carotene, which the body then converts to vitamin A December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 10

Are GMOs safe to eat? • The evidence overwhelmingly supports the safety of eating currently approved GMO-derived foods. • Swiss National Science Foundation: GM food crops are the most studied food crop ever. • Food and Drug Administration and European Union Academies Science Advisory Council: Currently approved GMO-derived foods are safe for both humans and animals to consume. • World Health Organization: Currently approved GMO-derived foods are safe. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 11

Do farmers use more pesticides with GMOs? • No. Actually the reverse is true. • In 2014, the USDA concluded “insecticide use has decreased with the adoption of insect-resistant crops, and herbicide-tolerant crops have enabled the substitution of glyphosate for more toxic and persistent herbicides”. • A large-scale review of the scientific literature found that adoption of GMOs has reduced chemical pesticide use by 37 percent and has increased crop yields by 22 percent. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 12

What are the environmental effects of GMOs? • GM crops must be shown to be relatively safe for the environment before becoming available for planting by farmers. • By increasing yield, less land is needed to produce a given quantity of food, meaning sensitive environmental lands are less likely to be brought into cultivation. • As indicated, herbicide-resistant crops have facilitated adoption of no - and low-till farming, which helps prevent topsoil erosion. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 13

What are the potential downsides of GMOs? • It is possible to imagine certain genetic modifications could harm human health (e. g. , introducing a peanut gene into corn might lead to unexpected allergenic responses). • Adoption of herbicide-resistant varieties has probably helped contribute to the development of herbicide-resistant weeds. • Some people are concerned about the involvement of large agribusiness seed and chemical companies in the food supply chain. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 14

What will the new GMO labeling mandate require? “The new law mandates that the Department of Agriculture define what constitutes a genetically modified food ingredient and then requires food manufacturers to label products that contain them. Disappointment among labeling proponents stems from the latitude the law gives food companies in how this labeling is done. “Producers may use a text label, a symbol, a toll-free number that consumers can call for more information, or a code that can be scanned with a smartphone to link to a website. “ 15 December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs

Organic Foods? December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 16

Organic Foods: What are they? • Organic farmers cannot use “synthetic” fertilizer, Roundup, biotechnology, atrazine, certain tillage practices, etc. • Housed within the USDA, the National Organic Program does not address food safety or nutrition. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 17

Organic Foods: How prevalent are they? December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 18

Organic Foods: Are they healthier? “[T]here is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. ” - American Journal for Clinical Nutrition December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 19

Organic Foods: Are they safer? • Organic farmers use *non-synthetic* pesticides • If they didn’t, pesticide use in production agriculture is a relatively small risk in the grand scheme of things. • Three daily cups of coffee or one gram of basil a day is more than 60 times as risky as the most toxic pesticide at current levels of intake. • The USDA imposes stringent limits are placed on the amount of pesticide residues allowed in food. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 20

Organic Foods: Are they better for the environment? • Most scientific studies find significantly lower crop yields on organic farms than non-organic farms. • A recent article in Science, for example, reported 20% lower crop yields on organic farms. • To produce the same amount of food that we currently enjoy, organic would require much more land. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 21

Local Foods December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 22

Local Foods: What are they? December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 23

Local Foods: What are they? • Farm Act (2008): locally or regionally produced agricultural food product is one that is marketed less than 400 miles from its origin. • Food Safety Modernization Act (2011): local is purchased within 275 miles or the same state where it was produced. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 24

What Consumers Consider as Locally and Regionally Grown Thilmany (2015) December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 25

Perceived Quality of Locally Grown Relative to Domestic Fresh Produce Thilmany (2015) December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 26

Local Foods: Are they better for the economy? Biermacher et. al (2007) • Consumers were willing to pay a premium for locally grown foods • ex. $0. 55 more per pound for tomatoes $0. 55 more • However, an overwhelming number of produce perished before reaching the consumer • 52% of field tomatoes were not sold December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 27

Local Foods: Can they be a fun way to meet people and learn about food? YES!!! December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 28

Popular buzz-words: what do they mean? • Natural: Nothing December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 29

Gluten-free: Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 30

Labeling requirements and what they mean • All food labels must require • Name of the food • Net quantity of contents • Name and address of the manufacturer • Statement of ingredients • Nutrition information December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 31

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Ex: 2 Cookies per serving December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 33

“Added sugars” will be required on the new nutrition label • “Includes sugars that are either added during the processing of foods, or are packaged as such. ” • “Excludes fruit or vegetable juice concentrated from 100 percent fruit juice that is sold to consumers as well as some sugars found in fruit and vegetable juices, jellies, jams, preserves, and fruit spreads. ” December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 34

What do all those egg labels mean? December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 35

Confusing Egg Labels • Farm Fresh • What It Actually Means: Nothing. • All Natural • What It Actually Means: Nothing. What would it even look like for a chicken to live “Naturally”? • Vegetarian Diet • What It Actually Means: Unclear - chickens are not vegetarian. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 36

Confusing Egg Labels • No Hormones: Nothing, because it is illegal to give hormones to poultry. • No Antibiotics: Very little, because antibiotics are rarely used in the egg industry anyways. • Certified Humane/Animal Welfare Approved: “Humane" treatment is subjective, but usually determined by a third-party. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 37

Confusing Egg Labels • Cage-Free: The hens don't live in cages. They usually live in industrial barns that house thousands of birds (1 sq. foot / bird). • Higher mortality rates (pecking order) • Environmental consequences • Free Range: Cage-free plus "access to the outdoors. " • The government doesn’t verify “free ranginess” of eggs and hens rarely go outside anyways, so read as “cage free. ” • Organic: Free-range (cage-free plus access to the outdoors), fed organic feed (no synthetic pesticides) and receive no hormones or antibiotics. December 8, 2016 GMOs | Organic | Local | Labeling | Eggs 38

Thank you! Further Reading from Ok. State Professors December 8, 2016 39