What that's you say? You can't tell the difference? Don't stress- that is because they are the exact same. So if we are to require companies to label products that use GM sugar, what are we labeling? Surely there is no information gained here on the product. There is no way to tell the source of the sugar. There are many similar examples.

Corn is a fantastic crop with many uses and is grow in mass quantity in the the United States. Since it's a major calorie source, and there are so many demands placed on it, many farmers have turned to modern science to increase output. This has lead to high levels of adaption of GM Corn. This corn has has been modified to contain Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), a protein that protects against insects. The same protein is used in "Organic" farming as well. GM corn simply inserts the protein into the corn, so that there is less need for spraying pesticides, tilling soil, etc.

So, after harvesting, is there a relevant difference between BT corn and the "Organic" corn? No. The BT protein at levels present in the corn is digested in humans like any other non-toxic protein. It's always important to recall that nothing is "toxic"- amounts of things are toxic, and what is harmful to once branch of life isn't always harmful to another.

Corn and sugar beets are the two most popular GM crops on the market, and there is no compelling information given to the consumer if they are forced to be labeled. It is unwieldy to break down all GM crops on the market here, but these make up the majority of the market share. If there is another crop you feel addresses argument #2 well that I missed, feel free to comment..

Important to note: If there does come a day when a specific GM crop contains a health risk, say an allergen, we can label that allergen. That would still not be a case for labeling other GM products.

Argument #3 - Consumers who are environmentally conscious may wish to purchase food of one method or the other

While it would be nice to have an objective and verifiable suitability rating on the food we eat, we don't have such a tool at this time. What is best for the environment is hard to suss out, aside from the obvious things, like limiting carbon emissions. Our ecosystems are dynamic, and while we understand them at the micro level rather well, it can be harder to say if eating chicken from your local farmer is better then eating it from a large scale farmer in another state. The answers are not always intuitive, and vary from state to state. That does not mean we can't know, but the idea that saying that something that is GM or "Organic" is inherently better or worse is flawed. In most cases GM food appears to be better by using less water, and producing more calories per acre more reliably.

If we were to enact a new series of laws mandating that we label the methodology of farming, which ones would we label? This would require a new system of standards and practices, and a new series of labels and jargon. And with these new labels, there would be no promise of clarity gained to the consumer. We already have this problem with advertising names like "Organic". According to a 2014 Consumer Reports survey of over one thousand adults, 81% believe that "Organic" means grown without pesticides. So how effective or meaningful are labels going to be that refer to agricultural methods most are not familiar with? I suspect, optimistically, not very effective.

If a private company wishes to list these methods on its packages, that is its right. And consumers who demand "natural irrigation" grown apples or "No-Burn Rice" may seek out such products. However, I suspect a new series of labels and jargon is unlikely to makes the environmental choice clear to the majority of consumers. If we want more environmentally friendly agriculture, I propose this is best done by direct federal regulation, not labeling to motivate consumer-based selection.

Closing Comments