Just had some quick feedback on your piece for the Collegian.
I am a registered dietitian, and try to help people eat more healthfully, whether or not they have the resources to include organic, non-GMO foods or not. I thought your arguments were a solid starting place, but have to add, GMO foods haven’t been proven to be harmful to human health…yet. Wasn’t there a time when people smoked because it wasn’t known to be harmful…yet?
A lot of the studies are funded by the GMO companies themselves, and one can’t deny the biased that must come with such research. Not to mention that the biggest GMO crops, corn and soybean, are produced in amounts that far exceed our need, and even consumption (with much going to animal feed/ethanol), and such an imbalance cannot be healthy.
You also call organic food a niche market. While it’s true that the sales there are measly in comparison to non-organics, it is one of THE fastest growing areas- why else would Walmart have become one of the top sellers of organic items?
The argument that requiring labeling would cause food prices to go up- I just don’t buy it. Companies make changes to their labeling all the time (how many different designs for a can of Coke can you think of?). Adding one statement, especially to the products of food that are already substantially supported by government subsidies, should not cause a rise in prices, and if it does, it points to bigger problems in our food supply/regulation.
Sincerely,
Gretchen
