Forcing companies to label genetically modified foods sounds simple enough. Don’t consumers have a right to know what they're eating?

 

Like a lot of seemingly straightforward ideas these days, though, this one is anything but. Mandatory labeling — set to go into effect in Vermont on July 1 unless Congress overrides state laws — has risks and consequences its backers rarely acknowledge. On balance it’s a bad idea. A key reason is that it validates the notion that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are dangerous, which is simply not true.

 

Using science to make crops more resistant to drought or insects builds on the ancient practice of selectively breeding plants to produce better and tougher characteristics. Doing this in a lab at the genetic level makes it faster, more precise and vastly more effective. But it also makes the issue harder for non-scientists to grasp. That leaves a big opening for misinformation and fear-mongering, which critics of GMOs have exploited to make people afraid.

 

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