Essay On The Pros And Cons Of Gmo Labeling

With all of the controversy surrounding GMO foods, a topic that always arises is the subject of labeling. Labeling has been a matter of discussion for years and surprisingly, a consensus has not been reached. In the labeling argument, big organizations that oppose labeling claim that mandatory labels would increase costs. Supporters of labels meanwhile, argue in favor of the consumers’ right to know of just what it is that they are consuming. The debate of cost over right to know seems to be what fuels the persistent war between supporters and opposers of labeling. While there is huge opposition, labeling GM foods is a necessity and needs to become a reality in America. The subject of the cost of labeling has gone on for years. In the past, organizations have claimed that

It should always be a basic human right for Americans to know what they are feeding themselves and their children. One argument against labeling is that labels would just confuse consumers over products that provide virtually the same nutritional value as the GM product’s organic counterpart (Conko). While this may be true, a solution to this problem would be to educate people on the pros and cons of GM foods and allow consumers to made their own decisions on what to buy. The solution is not to simply assume that it would be too much hassle to confuse Americans with labels and presume that they are better off without. Abstaining from labels also deprives people’s rights to support what they stand for. People may understand that GM foods are safe but may want to protest big GM corporations like Monsanto for ethical or moral reasons. However, these people often end up supporting these companies by unwittingly purchasing their unlabeled produce. Americans should have a right to know what they are consuming and arguing that “GM foods are basically the same” is not enough of a reason to deprive people from knowing what they are