Organic, non-GMO agriculture and food prices can easily be made affordable... and it's already being demonstrated in Peru

Saturday, May 14, 2016 by: Sarah Landers
Tags: Peru, organic food, affordable

---

(NaturalNews) When it comes to non-GMO foods, governments, food giants and Big Agri seem to have excuse after excuse lined up to protect the development of GMO at the expense of the growth of the non-GMO and organic sectors. There has long been a myth around the fact that GMO labels increase the price of food, but now Peru is proving that non-GMO agriculture can be totally affordable.

According to GM Watch, consumer food prices are based on many factors, including the cost of raw materials, production, transportation, advertising and competition. Exact predictions around price hikes are impossible to make, however past experience has failed to provide any evidence that GMO labeling would increase prices. In fact, Peru has shown that non-GMO agriculture IS affordable.

Peru food prices and non-GMO

According to Minds, everything grown in Peru is organic and non-GMO, yet food prices are extremely low. Governments have been arguing for years that without the development and expansion of GMO the world will go hungry – and yet a UN report recently revealed that small-scale organic farming is actually the only way to feed the world, as reported by Huff Post Food for Thought.

As the U.S. government is pushing harder and harder for the expansion of GMO farming, the UN is actually sending a very different message – that there is an urgent need to return to and develop more sustainable, natural and organic systems. In fact, experts believe that returning to small-scale organic farming is the only way to solve the hunger problem. According to Living In Peru, "Fresh organic produce in Lima is more accessible and affordable than one imagines. At the Bioferia in Miraflores, organic doesn't always mean expensive, and the lively, secure atmosphere of the market makes your visit a pleasant experience."

Peru doesn't allow GMO at all, as reported by Minds, and the report by Living in Peru demonstrates that organic food can thrive and be affordable. Peruvian-grown produce may not have an organic label, but it is organic, non-GMO and available in most countries across the world. Organic food in Peru is the same price as conventional food in the U.S.

Minds reports that, "It all comes down to supply, demand and overall health/sustainability of farmland. Commitment to organic farming on a national scale keeps the land fertile, non-contaminated and allows prices to come down with abundant supply." The report also argues that there is a need for 100 percent transparency and clear labeling around the processes that go into the production of food worldwide.

The use of pesticides and other harsh, toxic chemicals by Big Agri is damaging populations of bees and other pollinators, having a massive impact on food supplies worldwide. The loss of wild pollinators puts food security at risk, with 75 percent of all human foods depending at least partially upon pollinating insects, birds and bats. We need to switch to more pollinator-friendly farming practices, and organic, non-GMO farming is the answer to preventing an even greater decline in the number of pollinators.

The debate as to whether or not we should be focusing on GMO or organic farming practices will continue for years to come. The first priority should be for governments to offer transparency around the production of food, allowing consumers to make educated decisions about what they are purchasing.

If non-GMO food prices in Peru are the same as GMO food prices in the U.S., then perhaps the Big Agri-backed U.S. government is making excuses about food price increases to prevent the U.S. population from embracing organic and non-GMO, which would drive food giants to prioritize their stock accordingly.

Sources include:

Minds.com

PeruThisWeek.com

HuffingtonPost.com

GMWatch.com

Science.NaturalNews.com