Fighting the Rise of Genetically Modified Food: It’s the Consumer that Matters

Although the American public doesn't yet know what the real effects of eating Genetically Modified  (GMO) Food will be, the chances are that if people did know the truth, they wouldn't like it. That’s why the large agro-businesses have poured so much money into stopping any sort of awareness about the issues and the research that has gone on. Even the simple act of labeling something as “organic” or “contains genetically modified organisms” is considered dangerous because, as has been shown by Europe, the consumer will choose the organic food if it is available. The powerful agri-businesses, who have formed alliances with the pesticide companies and the bio-engineering companies, are not willing to give up their hold on American food consumption. Proposition 37, the law which would have required the labeling of food in California grocery stores, was voted down because billions of dollars in funding was poured into advertising against it from large agri-businesses in other states. As Al Baylaq, one of the owners of Good Earth Natural and Organic Food Store said, “It’s scary how much influence they (large agri-businesses) have on determining what the common folk know and don’t know.”

            In order to lessen the grip of these large corporations, the public has to be informed. The consumer is the most important part of the chain because it is the consumer who decides, ultimately, where they will put their money and, by extension, what they will support. That is why Good Earth has made educating the consumer one of the most important parts of their business. Mr. Baylaq said that when people are educated, they are able to make choices for themselves, which are generally the right ones both for their body and the planet. He said that for a while Good Earth was carrying two kinds of popcorn from two different companies but one had almost all organic ingredients in it, the other one had only the two most prevalent ingredients as organic. Good Earth placed these two bags of popcorn next to each other, one with a label stating “Organic” and the other with a label stating “contains Genetically Modified Ingredients.” Within several weeks, the sales of the popcorn which had the genetically modified ingredients had gone down, and Good Earth was then able to negotiate with the company in order to encourage them to have more of their ingredients be certified organic.

            Making informed decisions about the food that we eat is extremely important both for our health and for the future of the planet. Given the changing climate and the rise in population, agriculture will not be able to be managed as it has been for the past fifty years. The public opinion is beginning to shift in the right direction, as illustrated by the new Farm Bill coming up for vote which, for the first time, will include subsidies for organic food. However, there is plenty of work still to be done, and the first step is for you, the consumer, to make educated choices about the food you buy and eat. While conventional or GMO food may be cheaper in the short term, the benefits of eating organic are more important than the cost. Perhaps, by eating organic, you’ll even save yourself some doctor’s bills later in life.

-Kate Iida

This article was based on an interview with Al Baylaq, the owner of Good Earth Natural and Organic Foods.