Label wars

The fight over organic food and GMO labeling heats up

By Culinate staff

February 20, 2012

If you’ve been following GMO news lately, you’ve probably noticed that the Just Label It campaign — to have genetically modified foods labeled as such — has picked up steam lately, encouraging supporters to make and submit videos about GMO labeling and pushing for its petition to the FDA to hit the million-comments mark.

In the New York Times, Julia Moskin provided a concise summary of the issue, noting that the Just Label It nonprofit isn’t alone; rather, it’s “part of a debate that is coming to life around the country, in courtrooms and Occupy sites, in boardrooms and online, with new petitions, ballot initiatives and lawsuits from California to Maine.”

Moskin also reminded readers that organic farmers are currently responsible for trying to keep their crops GM-free, instead of the other way round — leaving the farmers vulnerable to legal prosecution by Monsanto when that company’s proprietary products turn up in organic fields, thanks to inevitable pollen drift. A lawsuit filed last year, however, may protect organic farmers from Monsanto suits in the future.

Moskin doesn’t mention that Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto employee and lobbyist, was appointed to a position with the FDA last fall — making the FDA perhaps less likely to take action on GMO labeling.