What To Do In The Wake of Prop 37’s Defeat

It’s been a battle for GMO labeling after the brutal defeat of Prop 37 at the hands of big business interests. Anti-labeling campaign “No on 37” appears to have been a major success for those who funded it (including Monsanto, Pepsi and Kraft), leading the way with a $46 million push.

The argument seems silly to supporters of Prop 37: if you are so confident in your studies and your product, why not be more open about it?

Most of the public doesn’t even understand what purpose genetically modifying food has other than “it makes it better”. For a good explanation of what GMO is, read this article.

Where Did Prop 37 Go Wrong?

A few seemingly legitimate concerns with Prop 37 included poor wording of the bill itself and a potentially costly regulatory burden on retailers. If GMO labeling was mandatory, does that leave small business owners accountable?

These points were apparently lacking the clarity necessary to get a vote of confidence from all affected parties. Although any food product sold in a package could easily be labeled at the manufacturing level, this solution doesn’t appear to be in the writings.

Even more interesting is the fact that the writings in the bill were actually quite clear. Dr. Darya Pino pointed out in the Huffington Post that the bill states that any raw food commodity that has been genetically manipulated must have a clear label stating such and any processed food that knowingly contains GMO ingredients must also have a label.

Who Leads The Pack For GMO Support?

Even though Prop 37 didn’t pass, the awareness of GMOs and the concerns for labeling has moved to a larger scale. It might not be the win supporters of Prop 37 had in mind, but it’s an important win to remember.

Despite the outcome, those who choose to avoid GMO products can still do so by being aware of companies that are best known to use them. The easiest place to start is the largest supporters of the anti-Prop 37 push:

• DuPont
• PepsiCo
• Coca-Cola
• Kraft Foods
• Kellogg Company
• Monsanto

Resources for identifying GMO foods/products:

• List of foods containing GMOs (Livestrong)
• How to avoid genetically modified foods (wikiHow)
• Top 10 Worst GMO Foods (Natural Society)

Staying Informed

Eating GMO foods is fine as long as it is your decision. If you are satisfied after doing your own independent research then you have done yourself a service for whichever decision you make. Stay informed by looking into who truly makes the food that you eat and their process. Prop 37 showed us how persuasive money can be, even when it comes to our food and health.

Companies that supported Prop 37 aren’t necessarily bad companies or bad people but they are promoting a view that supports their interests and that is a key point to remember. Your interests are your family’s health – and for that, you have the right to be inquisitive and skeptical about anything that has yet to be proven on a long-term basis.

Sources:

1. Darya Pino, Ph. D: Why I’m Voting Yes On Prop 37 (Huffington Post)
2. Prop 37 GMO Labeling Law Defeated By Corporate Dollars & Deception, Proponents Say (Huffington Post)
3. 5 Takeaways from Prop 37’s Defeat (NewHope360)