BRATTLEBORO — I, for one, am proud and happy that our legislature saw fit to require labeling of GMO foods for the good of the public.
I love the leadership of our state. Many of the details of this science of genetic engineering are not yet adequately tested for impact on human health or on the soil, and that is definitely part of the point.
This was true of Agent Orange, a chemical once touted as safe for humans and animals. This was also true of proven drift of genetically engineered crops into organic farmers' lands, as Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser can attest.
But nonetheless, citizens of these United States should be able to choose what they wish to eat. Our young friends who believe that GMO crops should not be labeled as such think that individuals who do not share their beliefs should work hard to find foods that do not include GMOs on their own.
This is our current situation. It is difficult to do so, and, in fact, the only sure remedy is to buy organically certified food.
The authors of the minority opinion posit that labeling will make GMO-free food more expensive, making it an elitist move. I see nothing in the labeling that will do so, as most food companies re-label products frequently.
As the demand for GMO foods goes down, as it certainly will with the majority of consumers wishing to know what is in their food, the unexplained correlation of dramatically increased pesticide use with the production of Monsanto's Roundup-Ready crops should hopefully be affected. This scientific correlation was not raised in the opinion piece.
As scientists know, increased resistance to pesticides is an evolutionary certainty, and we have no idea what the next frontier will be, as the Roundup-resistant pests spawn new generations. Where will that leave us with pesticides, and in what state will we leave our soil?
And finally, if General Mills is willing to produce a popular breakfast cereal that is GMO-free - and says so - due to consumer requests (“a trusted family favorite”), and if all of GMO-free cereals and foods have been produced and sold in Europe simultaneously, then labeling is not an egregious request. U.S. consumers are slow on the uptake, while Europeans have made up their minds.
So, bad science? More expensive food? I don't think so, but that is really beside the point. Consumer choice, and doing what in our hearts is right - that is what it's all about.