HOW FARMING AFFECTS OUR FOOD SUPPLY

By Dustin Moore, PhD, RD

Across the United States, grocery stores are filled with an array of food—from fresh produce to canned goods and ready-made meals. This abundance is thanks to the efforts of farmers, who only account for 1.2% of the population, but by their expertise, technology, and passion, manage to feed more than 340 million Americans.¹ This massive undertaking often goes unrecognized; leading to misconceptions about modern farming practices, particularly regarding crop protectants, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and crop quality. To better understand what goes on your plate, here’s a closer look at some of the agricultural innovations that make our meals possible.

The Role of Pesticides and Crop Protectants

Crop protectants, including pesticides, are among the most misunderstood tools in agriculture. Pesticides, which encompass herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and other related chemicals, are used to manage a wide range of agricultural pests. They play a vital role in supporting sustainable farming practices both today and for future food security. Inherent to their name, crop protectants help preserve crops, prevent losses, and improve land use efficiency, thereby reducing food costs. Pesticides in particular control pests like locusts and beetles, which though small in size, can destroy vast crop areas if left unchecked.

Crops with reduced pesticide use may not produce as much food.² Studies comparing organic and conventional crops show that organic yields are generally smaller, although the growing methods and conditions are otherwise similar.³ A stark example of the necessity of crop protectants occurred in Sri Lanka in 2021, when the government banned the use of pesticides. By the end of 2021, the country saw an estimated 30% year-over-year drop in harvests of its staple tea crop, and a further halving of total production by March 2022, highlighting the importance of these tools in global food security.⁴

Organic Farming Misconceptions

Much of the confusion about pesticides stems from misunderstandings around the standards of the National Organic Program (NOP) and how select crops are grown. While many believe organic means pesticide-free, the NOP allows specific non-synthetic and synthetic pesticides, including copper sulfate and peracetic acid.⁵

The most notable differences between organic and conventional crops are production efforts, cost, and 30% lower pesticide residues.⁶ While organic marketing often emphasizes lower residues, it's important to note that residues in both types of produce are well within safety limits set by regulatory agencies. More concerning is the presence of dirt and debris, but these can be removed by washing them in water. Of course, if it’s a concern, there are helpful pesticide residue resources, including a calculator to see how many servings a man, woman, teen, or child could consume and still not have any adverse effects from pesticide residues.⁷

GMOs and Gene Editing

Another key innovation in modern agriculture is bioengineering. The USDA uses the “bioengineered” label for foods with detectable modified DNA that could not have otherwise been obtained from conventional breeding or found in nature (Figure 1). These crops are modified to introduce genes from outside the breeder’s gene pool that give them beneficial traits like herbicide or insect protection.

Genome editing is another breeding tool. Distinct from GMOs, genome-edited crops contain modifications in their DNA that could have been obtained through conventional breeding or in nature but in a more efficient and targeted manner. These modifications lead to desired beneficial characteristics such as improved crop germplasm to boost the crop’s resilience in various geographical areas, or distinct characteristics such as an improved nutrition profile or plant architecture. An example of a genome-edited crop is high GABA tomato, commercially available in Japan. The tomato contains increased levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and its consumption is intended to help lower blood pressure.^8,9

Genetically modified, genome edited, and conventionally bred crops are developed to improve crop resilience, yield, and nutritional quality, helping farmers grow more food with fewer resources.