With recent GE crop study results, do we still need mandatory GMO labeling?

by | May 19, 2016 | 5 Ag Stories, News

by Ben Nuelle

Now that the National Academy of Sciences released a report saying genetically engineered crops are safe, is there still a need for GMO labeling on foods?

A new report from the National Academy of Sciences says genetically engineered crops are just as safe as ones that are not genetically engineered. GMOs also do not increase the likelihood of getting cancer. The 408-page report suggests voluntary non-GMO labeling because labeling food GMO could cause companies to simply quit using genetically modified crops altogether.

Michael Rodemeyer is a NAS committee member who worked on the report.

?There is a discussion in the report about labeling. The committee?s find was that mandatory labeling because the committee concluded there were no health effects associated with the current generation of available crops, there was no justification for labeling for food safety purposes.?

Rodemeyer also says at same time the committee recognized there are other legitimate policy reasons why a government could choose to enact a mandatory disclosure for example consumer autonomy.

Patty Lovera is Assistant Director at Food and Water Watch. She says there is still a consumer?s right to know regarding GMOs.

?We?re still plowing through what the report says about safety. We have some concerns what the scope is they used to look at that but even setting that safety issue aside, there are a lot of economy impacts of GMOs, environmental impacts because of the associated herbicide use, and a lot of consolidation has been driven by this.?

Lovera adds when you put GMO information on food labels people can decide for themselves if that is something they want to buy into.