If GMOs are so great, why does Monsanto and other big ag companies spend millions of dollars trying to prevent mandatory labeling? Consumers should have the right to know what is in the food theyre eating. My thought? Monsanto and similar companies fear the most revenue that would surely accompany 100 transparency.

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Friday, 16/10/2015 13:16

The biotech companies who support GMO Answers support your right to know what’s in your food and your ability to make informed choices.  The industry supports a national voluntary labeling approach rather than state by state initiatives which could result in a confusing patchwork of laws. Did you know that to date, there have been more than 70 different labeling bills with different sets of requirements introduced in 30 states (this includes city and county levels as well)?

It is important to note that there are options available to consumers who would like to buy foods made without GMO ingredients. One is to buy foods which are voluntary labeled through the USDA like Certified Organic program or the “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal.

Kevin Richards, a farmer, wrote in a response to a similar question:

“Companies spend money on lobbying to help preserve a predictable legal and regulatory environment to do business in. Companies involved in the food and agriculture sector spend more money than some other industries because it is regulated more highly.

“Personally, I would like to see a lot less money spent on lobbying—not just by companies, but also by activist organizations, consumer groups, trade organizations, and individuals. It is not that I think lobbying money is necessarily bad. It’s that I think a lot of that spending is wasteful. There wouldn’t be nearly as much of an incentive to spend on lobbying if the process were less politicized and if regulations were more clear and implemented in a more predictable way. There is no doubt that biotech companies would much rather save lobbying dollars and instead pay that money to their shareholders or reinvest it in researching and developing new products…”

Cathy Enright, former executive director for the Council for Biotechnology Information, describes the labeling we do support in this response, she states, “when it comes to safeguarding your health and nutrition, we support the mandatory labeling of food, including GMO food, if it raises a safety or health concern, for example, to alert sensitive populations to the potential presence of an allergen.  We also support mandatory labeling of GMO food if there is a change to the food’s composition, nutritional profile, taste or smell, or any other characteristic that would make it different from its conventional counterpart.”

More information about labeling can be found here.

We understand you are concerned about transparency and are interested in more information about the food you eat. GMO Answers was created to do a better job of providing you with information about biotechnology in agriculture and GMOs. In the past, we haven’t done the best job of communicating about GMO seeds. We hope that by answering your question and providing you with you more information in this response – you are able to gather the facts and make informed choices about the food you eat.  

If you have any additional questions, please ask.

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Friday, 16/10/2015 13:16

The biotech companies who support GMO Answers support your right to know what’s in your food and your ability to make informed choices.  The industry supports a national voluntary labeling approach rather than state by state initiatives which could result in a confusing patchwork of laws. Did you know that to date, there have been more than 70 different labeling bills with different sets of requirements introduced in 30 states (this includes city and county levels as well)?

It is important to note that there are options available to consumers who would like to buy foods made without GMO ingredients. One is to buy foods which are voluntary labeled through the USDA like Certified Organic program or the “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal.

Kevin Richards, a farmer, wrote in a response to a similar question:

“Companies spend money on lobbying to help preserve a predictable legal and regulatory environment to do business in. Companies involved in the food and agriculture sector spend more money than some other industries because it is regulated more highly.

“Personally, I would like to see a lot less money spent on lobbying—not just by companies, but also by activist organizations, consumer groups, trade organizations, and individuals. It is not that I think lobbying money is necessarily bad. It’s that I think a lot of that spending is wasteful. There wouldn’t be nearly as much of an incentive to spend on lobbying if the process were less politicized and if regulations were more clear and implemented in a more predictable way. There is no doubt that biotech companies would much rather save lobbying dollars and instead pay that money to their shareholders or reinvest it in researching and developing new products…”

Cathy Enright, former executive director for the Council for Biotechnology Information, describes the labeling we do support in this response, she states, “when it comes to safeguarding your health and nutrition, we support the mandatory labeling of food, including GMO food, if it raises a safety or health concern, for example, to alert sensitive populations to the potential presence of an allergen.  We also support mandatory labeling of GMO food if there is a change to the food’s composition, nutritional profile, taste or smell, or any other characteristic that would make it different from its conventional counterpart.”

More information about labeling can be found here.

We understand you are concerned about transparency and are interested in more information about the food you eat. GMO Answers was created to do a better job of providing you with information about biotechnology in agriculture and GMOs. In the past, we haven’t done the best job of communicating about GMO seeds. We hope that by answering your question and providing you with you more information in this response – you are able to gather the facts and make informed choices about the food you eat.  

If you have any additional questions, please ask.