Gmo Labeling Persuasive Essay

But, of course, change never comes easily. Although support for GMO labeling is quite high among the public, GMO companies and advocates are still adamantly against it. Some publications argue that, rather than promoting consumer choice, GMO-labelling actually limits choice by skewing the public’s perception of GM food. This would put the produce in a negative light and would cause retailers to stop selling the products altogether. They also claim that the labeling of GMOs will raise groceries bills by as much as $400 per year. This is because labeling would force companies to develop whole new supply chains to keep track of their GMO products, and conventional food companies would have to prepare for any potential lawsuits over their products’ …show more content…
First, as suggested by the previous points, GMOs already have a strong negative image; 53% of Americans in refuse to buy genetically modified products (“GMO Facts”). Adding an extra label is unlikely to affect this statistic either way. Second, even today, with our dangerously high obesity rates (among other health issues), unhealthy foods continue to make money, so even if it’s common knowledge that something is unhealthy, the industry won't necessarily be impacted. Third, while a number as big as $400 certainly sounds intimidating, the financial impact of GMO labeling is somewhat overblown. First, let’s assume the average consumer goes grocery shopping about once per week. Spread out over 52 weeks, the costs of GMO labeling would only increase grocery bills a little less than $8 per week. (Of course, some people shop more than only once per week, making the costs even lower.) Even $8 might be a stretch; one recent study claims that companies have overestimated and that GMO labeling will only increase food bills by $2.30 per year per person (“GMO labeling will cost consumers”). If this is accurate, then labeling will hardly make a dent in the average family’s