Viewpoint: Crop biotech industry’s ‘poor communication’ fueled explosion of Non-GMO Project labels

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Today in North America, the Non-GMO Project Verified logo is on over 50,000 food products that bring in more than $30 billion in retail sales.

Most things in nature are genetically modified, but biotechnologies create genetic combinations we would not normally see in nature. That is one of the main reasons why many consumers are uncomfortable with the concept of genetic engineering.

All of it is done in obscure labs …. Since both the United States and Canada have a voluntary labelling regime for genetically modified food ingredients, it was almost impossible for anyone to avoid them.

The information void on the market, created by our latest labelling policy, enticed the market to go completely in the opposite direction. The Non-GMO Project …. is essentially the product of a poor risk communication strategy by the biotechnology sector. Biotechnology companies …. sold their products to farmers without much considering the consumers as part of the social acceptability equation.

The Non-GMO Project Verified logo does not signify that the product is GMO-free. Rather, it only indicates that the food product has little GMO content …. After almost a decade, the presence of these logos on thousands of food products has only added more mystery to an already confused marketplace.

Read full, original article: Charlebois: The dark side of the Non-GMO Project

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