Whether the labeling debate continues to play out on a state-by-state basis, or the federal government eventually intervenes, chances are good that weโre looking into a future food supply dotted with mandatory GMO labels. More than 90 percent of Americansย think this is a good idea. As matters now stand, theย voluntary โnon-GMOโ label, started in 2008, inadvertently sows confusion. Non-GMO labels have been placed on products such as orange juice, suggesting that there areย genetically modified orangesย on the market when, in fact,ย there arenโt. None of this seems quite right. To a meaningful extent, a GMO label would bring some clarity to the situation. But clarity comes at a costโand how much cost is the subject of intense debate.ย This disparity hinges less on sloppy science or ideological bias than a basic disagreement over how food suppliers and consumers would react to a freshly minted GMO label. One sideโthe no cost/low cost advocatesโequates a labeling mandate with little more than the paper and ink required to manufacture the label. The idea here is that food suppliers and consumers wouldnโt necessarily shift their purchasing choices in the face of a GMO designation.ย Those who see the GMO label leading to higher food prices begin (as they should) by highlighting the sham science thatโs been used to vilify GMOs over the past two decades. Theย overwhelming scientific consensusย is that GMOs areย safe to eat. That hasnโt prevented theย disingenuous associationย of genetic modification with maladies ranging from cancer, autism, impotence, allergies, and infertility toย farmer suicides in India.ย One change seems absolutely certain: The food systemโs foundation would tectonically shift to accommodate dual ingredient streams (if not multiple streams). It would have no choice. GMO and non-GMO crops are currently massively mingled. The logistics of crop segregation, saysย Jennie Schmidt, a Maryland corn farmer, terrifies conventional farmers. It has also led the Washington State Academy of Sciences, in aย reportย prepared last October, to write, โThe costs of actual labeling are a tiny fraction of the costs of compliance and certification.โ Read the full, original article:ย The Price of Your Right to Know
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