There are approximately seven billion people in the world and either unintentionally or intentionally everyone has been a part of a social movement in food. Everyday consumers are affecting how our food system is being executed because they are choosing what they want to purchase and consume, and this in turn affects what businesses produce and advertise. Consumers may make decisions to purchase and consume what is more appealing, tasteful, or inexpensive. In some cases, however consumers are more interested in what the food is actually made up of, where it comes from, and they also may have ethical concerns for how the animals are treated. Their concerns are even more specific, consumers want to know whether or not Genetically Modified Organisms
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This debate involves consumers and farmers for the most part, but the food companies are involved and so is the government. Consumers desire to have products labeled for safety reasons, but big food companies are fighting against them to oppose it. Genetically modified foods are already regulated in 64 different countries (Kingston, 2013). In these 64 countries there are different standards on the labeling of genetically modified (GM) foods, and whether or not these countries completely allow GM foods depends upon that country specifically. In America however, the labeling of GM foods is not mandatory and only a number of states are actually creating bills to create and enforce labeling laws. The states that have initiated bills to require the labeling of genetically modified foods (GM), have been attacked by big companies that are opposed to labeling laws. In Washington, Connecticut and Maine labeling bills have been passed but they will not go into effect until four other states pass similar bills (Senauer, 2013). In California, Proposition 37 was proposed and it was dismissed because of the lawsuits filed against it by big food industry businesses that saw it as a threat, those said food industry businesses spent around $44 million dollars to do so (Senauer, 2013This has consumers worried, if big businesses are going to fight labeling laws with their large sums of money and power, however will the laws be passed. Many consumers want these laws passes, in fact, approximately ninety percent of Americans want mandatory labeling of genetically modified (GM) foods (Smith, 2012). There is a labeling program currently in the food market that labels products as Non-GMO verified. This symbol means that the product has been put through tests, passed the standards and also passed the requirements to be labeled Non-GMO verified. This verification is the only labeling in the food market that
This debate involves consumers and farmers for the most part, but the food companies are involved and so is the government. Consumers desire to have products labeled for safety reasons, but big food companies are fighting against them to oppose it. Genetically modified foods are already regulated in 64 different countries (Kingston, 2013). In these 64 countries there are different standards on the labeling of genetically modified (GM) foods, and whether or not these countries completely allow GM foods depends upon that country specifically. In America however, the labeling of GM foods is not mandatory and only a number of states are actually creating bills to create and enforce labeling laws. The states that have initiated bills to require the labeling of genetically modified foods (GM), have been attacked by big companies that are opposed to labeling laws. In Washington, Connecticut and Maine labeling bills have been passed but they will not go into effect until four other states pass similar bills (Senauer, 2013). In California, Proposition 37 was proposed and it was dismissed because of the lawsuits filed against it by big food industry businesses that saw it as a threat, those said food industry businesses spent around $44 million dollars to do so (Senauer, 2013This has consumers worried, if big businesses are going to fight labeling laws with their large sums of money and power, however will the laws be passed. Many consumers want these laws passes, in fact, approximately ninety percent of Americans want mandatory labeling of genetically modified (GM) foods (Smith, 2012). There is a labeling program currently in the food market that labels products as Non-GMO verified. This symbol means that the product has been put through tests, passed the standards and also passed the requirements to be labeled Non-GMO verified. This verification is the only labeling in the food market that