The scientific debate over the risks associated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is over; the science is settled. The problem is the anti-GMO movement is not based on science, but rather ideology — and ideology, at least for now, has trumped science.
Writing in the October issue of the Journal of Animal Science, in the most comprehensive study of GMOs ever conducted, University of California-Davis Department of Animal Science geneticist Alison Van Eenennaam reviewed nearly 30 years of livestock productivity and health data from both before and after the introduction of genetically engineered animal feed. What does the new science tell us? It says that GMOs are safe and nutritionally equivalent to non-GMOs.
Activists say GMOs are not adequately tested and harmful, but to do this they must either cherry pick the data from dubious sources or deny the science. There have been some 2,000 studies documenting that GMO science does not pose a risk to our health and GM foods are as safe as or safer than conventional or organic foods. Yet, the activists still sound the anti-GMO alarm. …
You might think that environmentalists who make up the bulk of the anti-GMO movement would support GMO cultivation, with its greater yields and efficient use of farmland, as a great ecological victory. …
Over four dozen pieces of legislation have been introduced in nearly 30 states to require GMO labeling. Three states actually have labeling requirements on the books. These states and the others that will follow suit will end up disrupting the nation’s entire food chain, from farming to supply to retail. Americans will suffer with higher food prices and fewer choices, but for other parts of the world stuck in poverty, the impact will be a devastating loss of human life. The stakes are high.
The politics of GMOs need to catch up with the science. … Putting the issue of labeling under FDA authority will take it out of the hands of the anti-GMO activists. This simple act could reset the national debate over GMOs.
Jerry Rogers is vice president at the Institute for Liberty and the founder of Capitol Allies, an independent, nonpartisan effort that promotes entrepreneurship, economic growth, and free enterprise.
