Just Label It!

Do you really know what you're eating?!

- Saskia A.

Environmental activists joined a global day out against Monsanto's GMO programs and demanding that foods be labeled.

Photo by: Modern Farmer

Many consumers insist on their right to know what they are putting into their bodies and their right to choose. We hear it all the time: “Why not label these foods if they are considered safe?” or that “Consumers should have a right to know what they are eating!” Unfortunately, while those questions seem simple, the issues behind them are not, especially if the starting point of labeling includes the entire process rather than just the final product. Issues such as safety, cost, choice, fairness, science, accountability, among others come into play. 

While I can't speak for the entire movement, I can say that I am dubious as to the safety and necessity of GMOs, simply due to the lack of research in humans and questionable finding in some animal studies.  

Lisa Rathke/AP

Consumer advocates have been pushing for rules requiring companies to label foods that contain ingredients that have been modified for any purpose, such as making them resistant to herbicides. The argument for labeling comes down to the right to know: Consumers, should be well informed of what’s in their food. Opponents on the other hand say that consumers are misinformed about GM foods and will choose not to buy them if they are labelled – the label will be misinterpreted as a warning and would put this industry at an unfair disadvantage.

As a result, many governments have begun to heed these suggestions and have either implemented labeling regulations or are working on them. On July 29, 2016, former President Barack Obama signed a bill into law requiring the labeling of food containing GM ingredients.  This can be looked at as a compromise by the food industry and the groups lobbying for GM labeling. But just like everything else, it comes with its challenges!

Personally, I believe we have a right to know what’s in the food we eat and how it’s produced. This is true even if food containing or produced using G.M.Os were the greatest thing since sliced bread.

References:

Van der Merwe,M. Venter,K. 2010.” A Consumer Perspective on Food Labelling: Ethical or Not?” North-West University. Accessed 22 October 2017. 

Images: 

 https://cdn.modernfarmer.com/wp-content/uploads/

 Ordon Chibroski/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images