German food policy expert says supermarkets, not consumers, drive demand for GMO-free food

Contrary to what most North American farmers believe, finicky European food trends are not driven by consumer demand or ivory tower agencies.

Instead, supermarkets pull the strings, says Michael Horsch [a German food policy expert.]

. . . .

“…Europe is setting new standards in what’s called honest food. It’s something [US] farmers should understand because it’s going to hit you guys soon.”

. . . .

Horsch said honest food has a documented history of what it is, where it came from and how it was grown.

Honest food is prevalent in Europe and big data is growing in North America. When the two meet, it’s going to change farming in most of the world.

. . . .

“They want traceability. … Once they see what’s in the food, if they don’t like it, they won’t buy it.

“They’ll tell farmers on both sides of the ocean, ‘no more glyphosate … no GMO…’ What can farmers do then? The major grocery chains just won’t buy.

. . . .

Horsch said genetic modification has helped farmers around the world efficiently grow corn and soybeans…. However, he thinks this efficient method of food production is coming to an end.

“Where I live, it isn’t the law that’s going to prevent GMO soybeans, it’s the supermarkets,” he said.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: ‘Honest food’ new buzzword in ag sector

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