Defeating GMO Labeling HIghest Priority of Big Food

Defeating GMO Labeling Initiative “single highest priority this year.”

We’ve talked about how the California Proposition 37 -(aka Right to Know)- will be one of the biggest and hardest fought political and business battles this year.

Here’s proof. In a recent speech to the American Soybean Association, Pamela Bailey, president of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) said that defeating the initiative “is the single highest priority for GMA this year.”

Wow, on several levels. First, that there exists a grocery manufacturers association in the first place. How, exactly does one manufacturer groceries? Oh, that’s right, with processed and packaged pseudo-foods containing edible food-like substances, as Michael Pollan puts it. Second, they don’t have anything better to do with all of their time, marketing gurus, legions of attorneys and bazillions of dollars than to ensure the defeat of one simple initiative in one state?

Surprised? Don’t be, just follow the 6 lane expressway of dollars that are at risk if this GMO labeling is passed, as it will surely flow to other states. Even if the labeling is contained to California, it becomes too costly to differentiate the processed foods into GMO and non-GMO groups; one group for California and the other for the rest of us.

Who is the GMA? They are the largest food producers such as Pepsi, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Cargill and Coca-Cola, just to name a few. These are the big boys of Big Food and Big Ag. You can see the GMA Members list here. It simply doesn’t matter that 90% of Californians want to know what is in their food, or that over 40 countries including the European Union, Brazil and (ironically), China have enacted GMO labeling laws, it’s just not good business for the GMA, and they are fighting this with everything they’ve got.

Expect to see some real fireworks in the coming months!

Big Food puts its back into fighting GMO labeling in California