DOES GMO LABELING REALLY MATTER? SURVEY SAYS "NO"

Lindsay Mitchell

Jun 17, 2015  |  Today's News

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a hearing tomorrow, “A National Framework for the Review and Labeling of Biotechnology in Food,” to discuss GMO labeling.  Their primary focus will be to strike a balance between Americans’ right to understanding what’s in their food and scientific evidence proving that GMO and non-GMO foods are equal.

To date, many states have conducted even more votes trying to pass state GMO labeling laws.  Vermont is the only one that has succeeded, with a GMO labeling law that will be fully operational in July 2016.  But I think we can all agree that different laws for different states only causes confusion and makes interstate commerce impossible.

And then there’s this.  Former Sec of Agriculture Dan Glickman was quoted in The Hill, saying “As a society we need to be careful in rejecting the views of the overwhelming majority of scientists worldwide; otherwise the naysayers will always find reasons to slow down the road to progress, especially when the future requires a significant increase in sustainable food production to meet a rapidly growing population.”

He’s right.

When we start to ignore sound science – peer-reviewed science – we start to miss out on the future.  Cures to diseases, inventions that change the course of our country, American ingenuity are all the result of science.  To disregard that is almost to take away the American dream.

So, does it matter?  Does the national GMO labeling bill now introduced in the House matter?  Will it change anything?  Will consumers actually care when we’ve labeled all their food non-GMO?

There’s a few that will care, certainly.  But this article tells us that the up and coming majority is actually lying to us about what they want.

“The 20- and 30-somethings say they care about things like food quality, customization, and ethics that traditional fast-food and chain restaurants can't offer.

Companies want to attract young customers in hopes they will become lifelong patrons.

To appeal to millennials, McDonald's overloaded its menu with premium smoothies, gourmet sandwiches, and creative salads.

Pizza Hut added a variety of customizable options including fresh spinach and Sriracha drizzles. And Olive Garden released a tapas menu of gourmet-style small plates to attract the foodie generation.

All of these efforts flopped, and there's an important reason: Millennials are lying about their food habits.

Millennials say they want food that is high quality, free of additives, and sustainable, but they aren't always willing or able to pay for it.”

Here’s the root of the matter: food is safe and science proves it.  A few vocal Americans want to pick a fight over GMOs and we should probably just let them.  Because at the end of the day, the largest portion of our population doesn’t prove their interest in this issue with their purchasing decisions.

We’re anxious to see where the Committee on Energy and Commerce will land on this issue.