Even though labeling food with genetically modified ingredients is creating a distinction without a difference, the costs would be real — for seed producers, farmers, grain elevators, processors and retailers.
A study from the Grocery Manufacturers Association estimated that in California alone a GMO label law would cost food producers $1.2 billion a year. Seed producers, farmers, grain elevators and handlers, processors and retailers all would be forced either to charge more for their products or absorb the costs, according to a report by the Washington State Academy of Sciences released last fall.
Our fear is that farmers will be caught in the middle of the GMO label debate. Because farmers are price-takers, they would have higher costs but the prices they receive will remain the same. If they switch to non-GMO crops, another set of expenses, including the cost of more pesticides, will come into play. Subtract from that the lower yields non-GMO crops produce.
Modern agriculture is about efficient production of healthful food. It is startling to the unbiased observer that so much time, effort and money is being spent on an effort to label food that is fundamentally the same, costs more and will hurt farmers.
Read the full, original article: GMO labels would hurt farmers most
