The Consumers Opinion on GMOs, GMOs in the Market in Detail Informative News Article 11-18-21
Athens, GA–– GMOs “Bioengineered/GE” Label— A Prolonged Issue of Food Labeling within the Consumer Market Genetically modified organisms, commonly referred to as “GMOs'' in the agricultural and food industries, have changed the lasting perspectives of a great deal of the consumer market for most retail foods. Meat, vegetables, and even fruits have been subject to genetic manipulation via the process of genetic engineering, the process by which the genetic make-up of an organism is changed [Rissman]. Numerous countries, some, for instance, China, Pakistan, and the United States have utilized genetic engineering techniques to increase the production of numerous products (e.g. soybeans, corn, sugar, cotton, etc..) [Pakistan Today]. However, despite the advantages it has for meeting consumer demand, nearly half of U.S. consumers still avoid GMO-oriented foods, mostly due to human health concerns [Marketwire (English)]. Consumers have remained adamant about their food choices, preferring non-GMO foods, even if they were less affordable than GMO foods. For instance, in a situation concerning a retail container of squash soup, consumers would be willing to pay $2.96 for a container with no GMO/BE label, but would not be willing to do so when GMO/BE labels were applied [Marketwire (English)]. This avoidance by market consumers has led companies to experience lower net profits overall, and subsequently to avoid the usage of GMOs in their new products, and the reformulation of their old products to exclude GMOs [Consumer Reports]. The issue has remained controversial between GMO food pro-labeling and anti-labeling groups throughout the U.S.. Referendums and legislators across the U.S. at the state level have previously enacted laws requiring manufacturers to label their foods with a “GE'' label if they were to use or are using GMOs in their products, for instance, Vermont’s GMO-Labeling Bill [Consumer Reports]. On the other hand, companies have also played a vital role in the GMO labeling issue, for the most part in the food and chemical industries, which have funded campaigns in support of anti-labeling policies and options in labeling referendums, which has shown positive results for the companies in some instances, e.g., in the state of Colorado’s and Oregon’s GMO food-labeling referendums [Consumer Reports]. But, not only are companies holding GMO labeling in high regard, but also the common consumer. Consumers in China have shown to on average put a greater emphasis on GMO labeling rather than non-GMO labeling, asserting that the details of the food they’re purchasing should not remain clandestine to the consumer [Zheng, Wang]. The issue over GMO labeling has caused political turmoil for numerous governments, with citizens either demanding GMO food labels or not. There are many opinions held by the citizenries of numerous countries, but the issue is overall still divisive. With people believing that GMO foods carry high safety risks, and some people believing that they don’t according to scientific research. In the end, the consumer market will comprehensively dictate how consumer goods are regulated and what labeling policies are implemented in order to keep companies profitable and food markets stable. Letting go of a large portion of the consumer market is simply not a viable option for the retail food and agricultural brands, which is why it has been and will remain a problem for GMO producers and consumers alike on the issue of GMO labeling.
Works Cited Rebecca Rissman. Genetically Modified Food. Core Library, 2016. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.proxygsu-sclb.galileo.usg.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e860xna&AN=978901&site=eds-l ive&scope=site. “Genetic Engineering.” Pakistan Today, 7 Apr. 2021. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.proxygsu-sclb.galileo.usg.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=BKLZPST20210407.00 010.2&site=eds-live&scope=site.
GlobeNewswire. “Survey: Nearly Half of U.S. Consumers Avoid GMO Foods; Large Majority Primarily Concerned About Human Health Impact.” Marketwire (English), 27 June 2018. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.proxygsu-sclb.galileo.usg.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=B2IDMKE7319951-en &site=eds-live&scope=site. “FAQs About GMOs.” Consumer Reports, vol. 80, no. 3, Mar. 2015, pp. 12–14. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.proxygsu-sclb.galileo.usg.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=fth&AN=100425267&site=eds-liv e&scope=site. Zheng, Qiujie, and H.Holly Wang. “Do Consumers View the Genetically Modified Food Labeling Systems Differently? ‘Contains GMO’ Versus ‘Non-GMO’ Labels.” Chinese Economy, Feb. 2021, pp. 1–13. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/10971475.2021.1890356.