Last week, the Vermont Senate approved a bill that would require labeling of all foods containing genetically-modified (GMO) ingredients. The bill is now going back to the House for their re-approval. Sean McBride, Founder and Principal of DSM Strategic Communications and Consulting and former Executive Vice President of Communications and Membership Services at the Grocery Manufacturers Association questions how the biotech companies and food companies are feeling about this recent bill and he arrives at an interesting conclusion.
he avers that if the Vermont House approves this bill, it is expected that industry will sue the state and if they are successful, it could put an end to the nation s ugly and protracted GMO labeling public policy battle. And in the meantime, while this lawsuit is taking place, the enactment of this law will be put on hold. Ultimately, a win by the biotech and food companies would put a chilling effect on future state and mandatory GMO labeling activity.
McBride s conclusion is this: On its face, Vermont s GMO labeling bill looks like a win for the anti-GMO crowd. A closer examination shows the big winners may turn out to be the growers, biotech companies and food companies that utilize the technology. If this scenario unfolds, ultimately, consumers and global society are the big winners, as they will know their food is safe and can be used to alleviate hunger and malnutrition around the world for generations to come.
We here at ACSH hope McBride is right in his predictions and that this results in this anti-science law and others of its ilk being put to rest.
Read his full piece here!
