Genetically Modified Organisms: To Label or not to Label?

1
Genetically Modified Organisms To Label or not
to Label?

• By Robin Brown
• Emily Gruman
• Liz Andary

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What are GMOs?

• Organisms genetically altered through recombinant
  DNA technology
• DNA is spliced from multiple organisms to form
  one recombinant DNA molecule

Double Helix Structure (Wikipedia)
3

• http//www.pub.ac.za/resources/teach.html

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What Are GMOs?

• A tobacco plant that has been genetically
  modified to express a gene that was taken from
  fireflies

(Wikipedia)
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GMOs through Time

• First GMO created in 1973
• After years of testing and research, GMOs were
  introduced to farmers
• In the 1990s, genetically modified foods became
  available in stores

http//www.onpointradio.org/shows/2004/01/20040121
_b_main.asp
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Genetically Modified Food

• Potential benefits
• Resistance to harmful conditions
• Higher yields
• Hardiness of crops
• Possible nutritional benefits

http//portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_I
D18 857URL_DODO_TOPICURL_SECTION201.html
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Benefits to Labeling

• Consumers with allergy risks
• Tracking potential contaminations

www.minton.co.uk/gmo.htm
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Comparisons of labeling laws
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United States

• GM Food is largely available
• No mandatory labeling
• No attempt to separate GM foods from conventional
  foods

www.minton.co.uk.amo.htm
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Europe

• Past scares have fueled a widespread awareness
  about consumer safety
• The right to make informed choices about their
  food
• International trade laws

Brandenburg, Germany Greenpeace action against
GE animal feed in a field growing GE crops.
Greenpeace demands that two of Europe's largest
dairy companies must stop buying their milk from
farmers who grow Genetically Engineered (GE)
maize to avoid potential contamination of the
food chain. http//www.greenpeace.org/internatio
nal/photosvideos/photos?related_item_id89396
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http//www.pub.ac.za/resources/docs/cartoon_gmo_ap
prove.jpg
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Problems with Labeling

• Retailers
• Negative consumer opinions
• Cost
• Additional man-labor
• Food segregation systems
• Impact on farmers

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Cost Impacts of Labeling
14
http//weeds.montana.edu/news/ KPMGlabelCanada.pdf

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Conclusion

• Problems outweigh the benefits
• Genetically modified food could solve many
  problems
• Better things to be concerned about and to spend
  money on
• Environmental sustainability
• Alternate energy sources

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References

• Bauman, Margaret.  Bill Aims to Require Labeling
  of Genetically Modified Fish.  Alaska Journal of
  Commerce 20 Feb 2005 A12.
• Branch, Shelly. Kraft Foods Draws Consumer Ire
  For Its Use of Modified Ingredients. The Wall
  Street Journal 6 Feb 2002.
•  Crespi, John M., Marette, Stephan.  Does
  Contain vs. Does Not Contain Does it Matter
  which GMO label is Used?.  European Journal of
  Law and Economics 327-344. November 2003.
•  Gaskell, George et al. Worlds Apart? The
  reception of Genetcially Modified Foods in Europe
  and the U.S.  Science. Vol 285. July 1999.
• Golder, Geoff et al. Potential Costs of
  Mandatory Labelling of Food Products Derived from
  Biotechnology in Canada. lthttp//weeds.montana.ed
  u/news/KPMGlabelCanada.pdfgt. 1-66. 11 April
  2006.
•  Goldman, Karen A. Bioengineered FoodSafety and
  Labeling.  Science Vol 290.  October 2000. 
•  Hansen, Kirsten.  Does Autonomy Count In Favor
  of Labeling Genetically Modified Food?.  Journal
  of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 67. 
  2004.
•  Haslberger, Alexander G. Monitoring and
  Labeling for Genetically Modified Products.
  Science Vol 287.  January 2000.
•  Miller, Henry I.  A Rational Approach to
  Labeling Biotech-Derived Foods. Science Vol
  284.  May 1999.
•  Nelson, Laura.  Labeling Laws For Transgenic
  Food Come Into Effect.  Nature p. 788.  April
  2004.
•  Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology.  GM
  Food Safety Are Government Regulations
  Adequate?.  http//pewagbiotech.org/buzz/display.
  php3?StoryID42. September 2003.
•  Williams, Nigel.  Agricultural Biotech Faces
  Backlash in Europe.  Science Vol 281. August
  1998.