Isabelle Z. – When Hormel, the food company famous for its processed meat products like Spam, bought America’s biggest natural and organic meat company, Applegate Farms, many health-conscious consumers were worried about the future direction of the brand. It turns out those worries were unfounded, however, as the brand has announced it is committed to removing all GMOs from its entire supply chain, from the finished product all the way down to animal feed.
It will also get third-party certification to put customers’ minds at ease. Applegate Farms already removed GMO ingredients from its products last year, but this move takes the sentiment one step further. This is an ambitious endeavor, given the fact that the majority of the country’s animal feed crops are genetically modified, with estimates showing that 88 percent of corn and 94 percent of soy in animal feed is genetically modified.
Applegate President Steve Lykken reminded consumers of his promise when Hormel took over that they would continue to break ground in the meat they offer, and this move is part of that effort.
The country’s first all-organic drive-thru has finally opened in California, with lines out the door as customers flock for a chance to support what could be the biggest step forward for industry ever.
This is the rising sentiment among farmers of the US as a confluence of factors urges them to become pro-organic. From falling GMO grain prices to a rising tide of public distrust of genetically modified ingredients, failing GMO traits, higher GMO seed prices, and the premium prices that people willingly pay for quality food over toxic junk, the conventional farmer is changing his tune when it comes to Big Ag practices.