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Discussion spotlights reasons for, against labeling GMOs
A proponent of labeling genetically modified food ingredients says state-by-state initiatives are the result of fears that U.S. lawmakers will not create the labeling system that food activists want. Food movement leader Michael Dimock tells Brownfield Ag News the state-sponsored efforts may be a preview of what will eventually be nationwide labeling.
“I think in the United States, you see a lot of times that change comes state-by-state first. It actually begins in communities, moves up to states and then it goes to the federal level,” said Dimock, during an interview with Brownfield Ag News in Phoenix, Arizona. “This may be one of those battles too, I don’t know.”
Dimock, president of an organization called Roots of Change, says labeling is necessary to build food system transparency.
“We are big proponents of labeling,” said Dimock. “We think labeling is part of the principle that we think should exist in the food system, which is complete transparency, so that we can build trust among consumers, farmers, governments [and] science, and therefore we are for labeling.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Charles Arntzen, founder of Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, says it’s more than just a product label that will add expense to labeled foods.
“Everything that’s talked about, that’s layering something additional on top, where you need to have some identification from [the] field to [the] bag of chips, somebody’s got to pay for it,” said Arntzen, “and it will the consumer.”
The two spoke at the United Soybean Board-sponsored Biotech University Friday at Arizona State University. The event gave college students from around the nation insights into news coverage of biotechnology issues.
AUDIO: Charles Arntzen and Michael Dimock (1 hr., 31 min. MP3)
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