GMO Labeling: A Case Study

Money has made the world go around for centuries, and nothing has changed. Biotechnology has opened many doors in a global economy, offering more jobs, more sources of income, and more innovative advancements. Currently, non- GMO corn costs 51% more than average GM corn, which adds up to a major difference for farmers when the average amount for a bushel is 4-4.50$. Although one would think selling GMO corn would be the best option when thinking financially, it should also be known that non GMO crops could potentially yield less, resulting in less to sell (Gasparro). If less is grown annually, the difference in revenue could offset non GM corn’s high price. In this battle, local farmers and going up against massive, wealthy corporations …show more content…
One may skim over how many grams of sugar, fat, cholesterol, or protein an item contains, but do shoppers ever think to check if what they are holding has been labeled with the letters ‘GMO’? Currently, 64 countries have demanded genetically altered foods to be distinguished and made the labeling of them a requirement. In the U.S., Vermont was the first to pass the labeling of GM foods as a law, and will start in 2016 (Gasparro). Petitions have been presented, and the fight to have these controversial ingredients identified has not yet yielded any long term results. In an interview, Julia Kallas pleas to the government to “listen to the millions of citizens who have petitioned to label genetically engineered foods” and take action because they should “give people the right to know what they’re eating”. Today, although some food brands have voluntarily made sure to print ‘may contain GMOs’ on the packaging, there is no way to know if unlabeled foods have been genetically altered in a lab or not. Julia Kallas, in the same interview, brought up how this issue was taken to the courts when Beef Products Inc. filed a lawsuit against people who claimed their foods were “pink slime”, which refers to one of the additives that is used in making the beef. They had not labeled their beef as a food with GMO’s, and because they did not, there was …show more content…
It has been a constant focus of many throughout history because one’s level of health has the ability to influence every aspect of someone’s life. As foods began to be further studied and the technology to do so became available, it became known that without nutritious foods, an unhealthy lifestyle will be the result. Once genetically modified foods were introduced in order to help the fight against hunger and help the nation’s economy, the nutrition that came along with them and the good they did for society was questioned. No one can agree on the safety of the products because tests have been done yielding results that support each side. In the economic world, GM foods have been shown to produce more, resulting in more revenue, but also hurt the smaller food suppliers that grow the natural crops that are purchased today. In addition, many have also fought for the labeling of genetically engineered foods because as of now, there is no way to distinguish them from non- GMO foods on the shelves. When it comes to accepting foods that have been changed in laboratories, the globe has been torn in two, both pieces with valid evidence that supports their stand. Hope for resolving this controversy will never cease to be present because society’s history has proven that it can successfully overcome problems, and without a doubt, it can be