As a follow-up to the Idyllwild Conversation group’s activities regarding food sources, production and distribution in the area, our group has allied itself with the Coachella Valley branch of Organic Consumers Association in collecting signatures for a potential initiative on the California ballot this coming November regarding the mandatory labeling of genetically modified food products.

The Label GMO initiative is an important measure for all consumers because, as of now, no such labeling is present. It also will serve as a reminder to them to be aware of the possible risks involved in the indiscriminate and unknowing usages of such products.

Whether willing to sign on or not, please remember your right to know.

Arthur Connor
Idyllwild

1 COMMENT

  1. The very nature of Agriculture that began with human artificial selection of plants is massively impactful to ecology. So is planting a huge field of organic corn in a former prairieland and spraying it with organic pesticides (such as the much-maligned Bt, which comes from a natural soil bacterium).

    It is perfectly reasonable for consumers to demand to know what is in their food and where it came from, but simply slapping GMO stickers on cereal boxes is not rational, and does the world a disservice, particularly the several billion people who experience routine starvation.

    As (mostly well-fed) representatives of humankind, we in this public debate need to get beyond anecdotes and colloquialisms to the heart of the matter – how to sustainably feed 9 billion people by 2050. Let us promote informed public discussions, preferably with scientific experts who dedicate their lives to rational understanding of biology. Biotechnology, 'GMO' or not, will likely have a very important role in mitigating the strong negative environmental effects of climate change, industrial pollution, and overpopulation, for which we are all culpable. Let us not flippantly write it off with emotional catch-phrases.