Farmers, ranchers and growers have many enemies. From the time they plant that seed in the ground until it is harvested, numerous perils come their way. One might be insects so small and hard to detect that a farmer can lose hundreds of acres of crops before they even see the pests. Another might be too much rain or insufficient rain at the right times. Yet another might be weeds like the pigweed, which has 500,000 to 700,000 seeds in each head and can grow so tall it keeps the regular crop from receiving sunshine. And if that is not enough, the plant might get infected with a disease that decimates an entire crop.

It is a long, hard haul to go from seed in the ground to a plant they can sell at market.

Therefore, they must use other ways to combat these enemies to harvest their crops by using pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.

Regardless of whether a farmer grows conventional or organic, they all use insecticides (to kill insects), herbicides (to kill weeds) and fertilizers (to help plant growth).

All farmers use chemicals. And, lest you react negatively to the word “chemical,” one of their favorite chemicals they all love dearly is H20. Yep, that is right, the water we drink is made up of chemicals; two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.

Chemicals are not the enemy.

The proper use and application of chemicals is where the problem comes in. For example, you cannot live without water, but if you get too much water in your lungs, you will drown. The same chemical that saves you is the same chemical that can cause your demise.

Therefore, chemicals are not the problem.

Furthermore, the difference between organic and conventional growing of crops are the types of chemicals used, which are basically two types: natural and synthetic.

Natural chemicals are derived from nature. Rotenone, for example, is a pesticide allowed by USDA to be used for organic farming.

Synthetic chemicals are created by scientists in a lab. A popular example is malathion which is sold under various brands, but is a pesticide meant to kill insects.

Any of these chemicals, including water, can either help or harm, depending on application and amount regardless of how it is made.

In other words, do not be afraid of the word, “chemical.” The universe itself is made up of 109 chemical elements, of which you are made up of 60 of those.

There has been tremendous scientific work to try to grow plants that are insect resistant, disease resistant and drought tolerant (like a camel can go a long time without water), as well as being more nutritious. Did you know scientists have produced a Golden Rice plant that significantly diminishes childhood blindness in poverty-stricken countries by providing a missing nutrient – Vitamin A?

Now, farmers can use fewer chemicals to control insects, protect their crops from disease and go longer periods without water. Like scientists hunkering over Petrie dishes and beakers trying to find a better medicine for you, they also study plants for the same reasons – to make healthier, more productive crops to feed the planet.

For example, as I have traveled across the world working on international hunger relief, I witnessed Vitamin A deficiency (VAD), especially in children, which is the leading cause of blindness. According to a National Institute of Health (NIH) report, “The consumption of the genetically modified rice variety known as Golden Rice (GR) offers a potent and cost-effective strategy to combat VAD.”

These scientifically produced crops are also known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Here is the current list: alfalfa, apple (ArcticTM varieties), canola, corn, cotton, eggplant (BARI Bt Begun varieties), papaya (ringspot virus-resistant varieties), pineapple (pink flesh varieties), potato, salmon (AquAdvantage®), soybean, squash (summer, coat protein-mediated virus-resistant varieties), sugar beet, and sugarcane (Bt insect-resistant varieties).

Notice anything missing? How about Golden Rice? Radical anti-GMO groups have effectively stopped it from being grown. Their reasons? There is an assumption among some that GMOs are harmful, perhaps even deadly.

Therefore, what should you believe?

Ultimately, I trust science. If the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and leading scientists verify their safety, then I will trust that science. Are there contradictory scientists to these claims? Yes, and I have read most of them, so I finally settle on the USDA, which is filled with hundreds of thousands of great people who care deeply about food safety and if they say it is safe, then I will trust them.

Now, before you send me a zillion pages of contradictory research, let me save you the trouble and state that unless the USDA changes its mind about the science of GMOs, I am not either. I did my research, and continue to do so, so I trust the USDA.

With that being said, I fully support organic farmers.

I’m a both/and kind of person and always will be. I sometimes buy organic, I sometimes buy conventional, but I rest easy knowing there are hundreds of thousands of people, scientists included, who ensure both of those foods are safe.

Rick McNary is a leader in bringing people together to build community and reduce hunger in sustainable ways.