Dive Brief:
- The USDA launched a two-day summit to discuss the heated battle between GMO proponents, such as Monsanto Co. and Syngenta AG, and opponents, such as organic food companies and consumer groups. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said, "The one thing I am really tired of is division," The Wall Street Journal reported.
- Some speakers on both sides of the issue did not seem to budge.
- Both sides can agree, however, that this division has cost them all an enormous amount of money for GMO food labeling legislation and organic farmers' buffer zones to prevent GMO crop contamination from neighboring farms.
Dive Insight:
The update for a case regarding a moratorium on GMO crop cultivation in Maui was originally set for today but has now been canceled, as the judge has pushed back the case's hearing to March 31. The judge cited two bills at the state level which could negate the county's ability to restrict GMO agriculture regardless of the outcome of the hearing and case at hand.
"Healthier GMO" products may seem like an oxymoron to some. However, recent research shows that consumers may actually be willing to buy — and even pay more — for genetically modified potatoes if the biotech modification was meant to remove acrylamide, a chemical linked to cancer which the FDA now warns against. Education will be paramount in getting the word out to consumers if companies want to capitalize on the results of this research. If biotechnology and genetic modification of produce can be linked to creating healthier foods rather than simply pesticide-resistant foods, GMOs may begin to show a new face to cautious consumers.