If one of two packages of, say, frozen edamame you are looking at on the supermarket shelf says, partially-produced with genetic engineering, which of those packages would you buy?

Because companies such as Monsanto, the nations leading producer of genetically-modified seeds, believe you would choose the non-GMO food, they are spending record amounts against Initiative 522, which would require labeling of genetically-engineered foods and seeds offered for retail sale in Washington.

Thats also the reason local and state groups supporting the initiative such as Label It WA. and GMO-Free San Juans want you to vote for the initiative.

Proponents address this issue directly: We also should have a right to choose whether we want to buy and eat genetically engineered food. Labels matter. They ensure transparency and preserve the freedom to make our own decisions about the food we eat. I-522 is a step in the right direction, says the pro voters statement.

Opponents point to increased costs: from Washington Wire, Advocates of Washingtons Initiative 522 say it wont cost a dime, but a new opposition report says that if voters require warning labels on genetically modified food products, the typical family of four would pay an additional $490 a year for groceries.

Local supporters of the voter-approved ban on use of genetically-modified seeds in San Juan County are hoping the 62 percent majority of county voters who supported Initiative 2012-4 last year will vote yes on Initiative 522.

But a local opponent of the GMO seed ban initiative, molecular biologist Larry Soll, says there are bigger things to worry about than a GMO label. Soll, reflecting on the fact that something close to 80 percent of food products now contain some element of GMO technology, points out that both the local and the state initiative are a back door method of getting rid of GMO crops.

The initiative imposes labeling requirements on genetically engineered foods and seeds offered for retail sale in this state. Genetically engineered is defined as foods or seeds produced by techniques that insert DNA or RNA into organisms or that use cell fusion techniques to overcome natural barriers to cell multiplication or recombination, according to the official statement in the voters pamphlet.

Genetically engineered agricultural commodities would be labeled genetically engineered, and genetically engineered packaged processed foods would be labeled partially produced with genetic engineering.

Many foods would be exempt, including alcoholic beverages, certified organic foods, foods not produced using genetic engineering, as certified by an approved independent organization, and foods served in restaurants.

Follow this link:
Health risks vs. higher costs; supporters, critics clash over impact of I-522

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