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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?
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
