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Both the pro-labeling and anti-labeling movements are colossal wastes of money, since GMOs are neither all good nor all bad. . . . Anti-GMO talking points are pretty much all misdirections: the real issues all straddle the GMO/non-GMO border.
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. . . the things people don’t like about GMOs are not GMO-specific problems. Here are some things labeling won’t help with:
- It won’t help you avoid pesticides. Both the insecticidal Bt toxin and the herbicidal Roundup chemical, glyphosate, are used in both GMO and non-GMO crops.
- It won’t eliminate superweeds, since this ecological problem is not GMO-specific either. (Non-GMO sunflower oil is another big creator of superweeds, by the way)
So if GMO labeling doesn’t help you, the consumer, to make better choices—who does it help?
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It helps people who have been crusading against imaginary risks to feel better about themselves. And it helps brands like the Just Label It campaign’s 700 partners that sell non-GMO products.
The fight by some food companies against GMO labeling is likewise using you as a patsy: they say you will be scared away from purchasing totally safe food because of the GMO label. . . . Nice try, but the problem is that consumers are already confused. Both sides have to stop treating GMOs as all good or all bad.
So do we, as consumers. Seeing a “No GMOs” label shouldn’t make us feel good; it’s just another marketing gimmick with no real health benefit. And seeing “partially produced with genetic engineering” shouldn’t scare us off.
Read full, original post: GMO Labels Won’t Make Your Food Safer
