FOOD: Why GMOs make sense

It’s often debated whether consumption and production of genetically modified food is economically viable and healthy, as well as if it should be labeled.

I would argue no, because genetically modified foods are indeed economically viable, healthy, and — despite a plethora of evidence suggesting an extreme likeliness of safety and benefit — the misunderstanding is that GMOs are health hazards and costly to farmers despite low yields.

It’s important to note that there has not been one documented, peer-reviewed and accepted instance of GMO creating a health hazard.

Lots of misconceptions revolve around this, most famously from Seralini et al. 2012, whose research supposedly illustrated that feeding rats RoundUp-resistant maize for two years resulted in cancerous tumors developing. The rats used for the experiment were known to develop random tumors.

Further, the cost per acre according to GMO answers, a collective of GMO producers and scientists, for GMO versus GMO soybean only results in about a $12 difference, for consistently higher yields.

If we let people who persistently misunderstand the existence of evidence for the aptitude of GMO place labeling on packages, it will influence whether if GMO is a successful business venture.

GMOs shouldn’t fail because of misinformation.

TERRY GOSSARD

Coeur d’Alene