“Genetically modified crops are a topic of intense debate that have sparked a lot of controversy over the years, fuelled largely through a lack of understanding and vast amounts of misinformation. Do we need GM crops? Are they dangerous? This article is going to give a brief overview of this huge topic and also discuss some of the myths and facts of GMOs.
Humans have been modifying the genomes of plants and animals for our benefit for thousands of years using a process known as artificial selection, or selective breeding.”
“Shareholders at Safeway have rejected a proposal from the Green Century Equity Fund calling for mandatory GMO labeling on its store brands, which company bosses claim would cost $15m+ to implement, while providing zero consumer benefits.
The GCEF notes that Safeway is “working to position itself competitively among consumers interested in all-natural and organic products” and that it “risks losing market share among this target demographic” if it fails to take the initiative on the GMO labeling issue.” (more…)
“A proposal to require the labeling of genetically modified food qualified for Colorado’s November ballot, the secretary of state’s office announced Wednesday.
Backers of the measure, Proposition 105, submitted nearly 40,000 more valid signatures than the required 86,105.
The placement of the measure on the ballot could bring a huge wave of corporate spending, as was seen last fall in Washington state last year. (more…)
The most recent CAST Issue Paper, “The Potential Impacts of Mandatory Labeling for Genetically Engineered Food in the United States,” explores the issues surrounding mandatory labeling of GE foods. EMAC Director Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes co-authored the paper along with Alison Van Eenennaam from the University of California-Davis, Bruce M. Chasey from the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign and Thomas P. Redick, Global Environmental Ethics Counsel, LLC .
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