To label or not to label GMO foods is not a highly contentious issue in the United States. A recent New York Times poll found that 93% of Americans believe that GMO foods should be labelled accordingly. However, though this debate leans heavily in one direction, it has raised some important questions about American industry. In this article, I will be discussing these questions as well as providing my opinion on what can be done.

Most people who are pro-GMO are not pro-labelling believe

1. Does labelling GMO foods pit people against one another?

In short, yes. Companies like Monsanto and DuPont have heavily clashed with organizations like The Center for Food Safety and Just Label it, while organic and GMO farmers also stand on separate sides. On July 29th, 2016 President Obama signed Bill S. 764, stipulating that there must be a label on GMO foods. However, many biotech companies have found ways around this mandatory label, such as turning the label into a scannable barcode or placing the label on an obscure and not readily visible place on the good. In fact, some people have referred to this act of “transparency” as the DARK Act, short for “Denying Americans the Right to Know.” The scary truth is that our food is regulated by a series of power struggles and legal battles.

2. Why is there backlash against labelling?

The answer to this question lies in both my answer to questions one and three. Tension lies between big companies, consumers, and farmers, and the case for anti-labeling changes depending on the group. Take full-time farmer Dan Newhouse’s point of view for instance. Newhouse, a farmer who grows both GMO and non-GMO crops, worries that with the passing of Bill S. 764 (slated to be implemented in May of 2018), he will have to spend much more time, effort and money avoiding keeping the two separate: “I’d have to be able to clean that harvester so well, that there’s not one kernel of [GMO] corn on that machine,” Newhouse stated. “So I would not be able to guarantee that there’s no commingling.” Many GMO farmers also worry that labels will lead to less demand, and higher production costs. Questions have also arisen over what constitutes a “GMO” good – is a good considered to be a GMO if it is processed in any way?

3. What are the sides of the issue?

The case for labels:

Transparency is the primary argument pro-label supporters cite. They say that Americans  have a right to know what’s in their food and that a GMO label provides them with another element to make an informed decision about what they buy.

“Producers already must label foods that are frozen, from concentrate, homogenized, or irradiated,” Jean Halloran, director of food-policy initiatives at Consumers Union, stated. “GMO labeling is one more piece of helpful information.”

The case against labels:

Food is in fact an industry, and cutthroat competition exists. Should Organic food companies be allowed to print labels stating they are “non GMO”? Does this work to further undermine GMO crops/companies, and if so, what are the boundaries of competition in our capitalist system? No tangible research has come to light about GMO foods having any potential health hazards, so why should we be forced to label GMOs instead of Organic foods?

Naysayers claim that “labeling foods containing GMOs will not tell consumers what they really want to know; if pesticides or herbicides were used, or if large agricultural companies produced the crop.” Vocal opponents of GMO food say that labeling only confuses and frightens customers.

3. Should consumers care?

Yes. Why? GMO labeling isn’t only about our food industry; it raises questions of public health as well as the sustainability of the world’s food supply – and all of the social, economic and political forces behind it.

In conclusion, I believe that we should take more time as consumers to research the forces behind our food. If you care about eating organic foods, keep in mind that these foods are not necessarily pesticide free and that labels (GMO or not) can be deceiving. I would urge all consumers to make careful decisions about what foods they decide to buy. Though we may not have the ability to grow our own food, we do have the ability to make educated decisions and choices about what others grow. Don’t forget – you can vote with your fork too.

Sources:

http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2015/08/04/to-label-or-not-to-label-what-need-to-know-about-gmo-foods.html

https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/976/ge-food-labeling/us-polls-on-ge-food-labeling

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/07/14/486060866/congress-just-passed-a-gmo-labeling-bill-nobodys-super-happy-about-it

Why Labeling Makes Sense

What You Need To Know About the New GMO Labeling Law

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/10/16/235525984/so-what-happens-if-the-movement-to-label-gmos-succeeds

“Practically every food you buy in a store for consumption by humans is genetically modified food… We have systematically genetically modified all the foods – the vegetables and animals – that we have eaten ever since we cultivated them.” In the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson, GMOs have been everywhere for tens of thousands of years, yet barely a third of Americans believe that GMOs are safe to eat. In fact, 57% of the American public surveyed by ABC News stated that they would be less likely to buy a food labelled as genetically modified. In my article below, I discuss two common myths regarding GMOS.

1. GMOS are not healthy.

The main argument against genetically modified organisms is that they are unhealthy. Naysayers claim that organic foods are healthier for you and that we have been farming food without pesticides from the earth for centuries. What these naysayers don’t realize is that genetically modified organisms are not a new practice, but a mastered trade; we’ve been using artificial selection since the Jamestown days. GMO farming practices aren’t all that different from organic farming either. In fact, GMOs are developed by scientists who first meticulously observe the growth of the organic crop before deciding to genetically engineer for the desired trait (i.e drought tolerance or disease resistance). Upon transferring the gene into a plant seed, GMOs must undergo years of rigorous testing before being released to the public. In fact, GMOs are the most highly scrutinized crops on the market as they must go through more testing than any non-GMO crop. In addition to government approval, GMOs also must pass tests conducted by the FDA, World Health Organization, National Academy of Sciences, The Royal Society, American Medical Association and the European Academies Science Advisory Council. In the Spring of 2016, the National Academy of Science issued a comprehensive report in which a panel of over 20 scientists, researchers, agricultural and industry experts reviewed over 20 years of data since GMOs were introduced. Using nearly 900 tests, studies and health data, they all came to the conclusion that “genetically modified crops are safe to eat, have the same nutrition and composition as non-genetically modified crops and have no links to new allergies, cancer, celiac or other diseases.” Genetically modifying crops allows scientists to edit a crop’s genome and eradicate disease, edit juiciness and texture and allow the plant to withstand droughts. This technology and accuracy not only makes GMO crops arguably safer than organic foods, but it has also given us the power to save billions of lives globally. Not to mention, GMOs are still 47% cheaper on average than organic foods. While the seeds may be genetically altered, they are incredibly safe and even healthy.

2. GMOs are not sustainable.

Many people assume that the word “organic” means that no pesticides are used, but that isn’t the case. Most farmers use natural pesticides and some approved synthetics, and though organic farmers normally use less pesticides, GMO farming practices have shown to be both more efficient and sustainable in recent years. According to a Belgian resource report released in 2016, “Overall, the cultivation of GM crops over the last 18 years has delivered substantial benefits for the environment. Insect-resistant crops have resulted in a 230 million kg decrease in the use of insecticides. Herbicide-tolerant crops have led to reductions in fuel use and CO2 emissions of 6.3 billion liters and 16.8 million metric tons respectively, by supporting no-till farming… GM crops have produced an environmental benefit of 37%.” Not to mention, the yield of GMO crops is significantly higher than those of non-GMO crops. Below is a picture comparing organic sugarbeet

Picture credit: The Genetic Literacy Project

to GMO sugarbeet. This yield rate has been used to strategically combat disease and hunger worldwide. For example, in the 1970s, when India was in danger of a massive famine, Norman Borlaug used GMOs to develop a special breed of dwarf wheat that resisted a wide spectrum of diseases and produced almost three times more grain than the traditional, nearly extinct, varieties. The minister of Food and Agriculture of India heard about Borlaug and his work, and persuaded him to teach Indian farmers how to grow the wheat.

Since Borlaug’s discovery, India’s population has more than doubled, its wheat production has more than tripled, and its economy has grown nine-fold. Borlaug and his GMO wheat saved over a billion lives.

America needs to get over its irrational fear of GMOs and start embracing the crops we take for granted. GMOs are cheaper, healthier, and more efficient than their organic counterparts.

From right to left: Organic Lemons, GMO Lemon

When life gives you lemons, choose the genetically modified one.

SOURCES:

“Are Organic and Non-GMO Farming More Sustainable than Farming Using GMOs? #GMOFAQ.” GMO FAQ, gmo.geneticliteracyproject.org/FAQ/organic-non-gmo-farming-sustainable-farming-using-gmos./.

http://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/5299/20150402/is-genetically-modified-food-safe.htm

https://gmoanswers.com/ask/why-are-gmos-created-if-scientists-are-not-aware-if-it-really-harmfulare-gmos-really-safe-if-you

https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97567&page=1

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/03/cost-of-organic-food/index.htm

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-last-thing-africa-needs-to-be-debating-is-gmos/2015/05/22/81b76574-fe62-11e4-833c-a2de05b6b2a4_story.html?http://responsibletechnology.org/10-reasons-to-avoid-gmos/utm_term=.2417184d490f

IG=E669409498F9449EB19C29AE5A83C758&CID=142BB1DA27F860AF09BCBA4C26576151&rd=1&h=yTqxoT7kc6P8tNI_F59-eDqDyulIrF7BHfP-vgTGAbE&v=1&r=https%3a%2f%2fmonsanto.com%2finnovations%2fbiotech-gmos%2farticles%2fgmo-facts%2f&p=DevEx,5068.1.

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-organic-food-versus-gmo-food-lemons-white-background-fresh-genetically-modified-image35362742 (Lemon Picture)

The New Food Fights: U.S. Public Divides Over Food Science

TheNdgvids. “Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Gmo Food!” YouTube, YouTube, 24 July 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ecT2CaL7NA.

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