Opinion: The Irony Of GMO Opposition

I Recently received two email messages on the same day that made for a bizarre coincidence. The first came from a group that is trying to get the state of California, where I live, to label foods that contain genetically modified ingredients, commonly known as GMOs.

I think this is a bad idea on a number of levels. First off, just from a regulatory perspective, I don’t think states should get involved in what should really be a federal issue, if it were taken up at all — and I hope this isn’t. Can you imagine the added cost to the average family’s food budget? Because if you think foods containing GMOs are in any way unusual, think again.

You’ve almost certainly consumed some GMOs this week, in fact. By far the lion’s share of soybeans and corn grown in the U.S. are genetically modified, and it’s difficult to find a prepared food that does not contain these ingredients in some fashion. Think of the cost of labeling all those products that are going to be sold in California. Now think about the many single moms in the state already struggling to put food on the table for their young children, and how they will feel about the added cost to their already meager food budget.

Embrace Seed Technology

The second email, which came from a friend, was a news story on a speech made by Microsoft founder Bill Gates on a topic of interest to me: How can we find high-tech ag solutions to feed the 9 billion people expected to inhabit the Earth in 2050? Gates is apparently weary of criticism that the high-tech solutions he advocates are too expensive or bad for the environment. His response is that countries can either embrace modern seed technology or GMOs or their citizens will starve. Right on, Gates.

Incidentally, Gates sends out an annual letter from he and his wife Melinda’s foundation to update people on what they’re doing. I don’t have time to go into the 2012 version here, but if you care about the future of the world, and agriculture, you’ll find it of interest. It doesn’t hurt that he salutes my all-time personal hero, Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution, whose improved wheat varieties saved countless lives back in the 1960s and 1970s.

Anyway, in the news story, Gates told The Associated Press that he finds it ironic that most people who oppose genetic engineering in plant breeding live in rich nations that he believes are responsible for global climate change that will lead to more starvation and malnutrition for the poor.

I double-checked where that first email came from, and sure enough, the anti-GMO group is based just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco in Marin County, one of the richest counties, in one of the richest states, in one of the richest nations, on Earth. Gates nailed it all right.