GMO and Food Labeling. Final Reflective Essay. Sushovan Sircar CCTP Fall 2015

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1 GMO and Food Labeling Final Reflective Essay Sushovan Sircar CCTP- 505 Fall 2015

2 GMO and Labelling My final reflection essay is based on the lectures by Dr. Bode and Dr. Jones. I aim to draw from their respective lectures in my essay on the issue of Genetically modified organisms (GMO) and food labelling. GMOs have been a topic of intense debate and controversy in the last two decades and in recent years, the argument over genetically modified food has been dominated primarily by the debate over food labels. Should labels be mandated to reveal the presence of GMOs? Two events in the last few months have raised further questions about the issue, a couple of which I wish to include in the PQMA framework. The first event occurred on July 23, 2015, when a solid majority of the House of Representatives voted in favour of a law that would block states from mandating GMO labelling. The second event, on November 19, 2015, saw the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve a variety of genetically modified salmon as fit for consumption. The FDA refused to mandate labelling on the fish because according to its research and tests there was no difference between a genetically engineered salmon and a natural salmon on parameters such as nutritional content. While a large section of scientists, press and academics believe that GMOs are essential in order to meet the food demands of an ever growing population that is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, several consumer groups, activists and citizens feel that its consumption is harmful. GMO crops will substantially reduce the amount of land, water and pesticides and increase production manifolds but consumer research has shown that the general public in

3 the US is skeptical about GMO products based on what they have heard from friends, family, news or on social media. PROBLEM Dr. Bode, in her lecture had spoken about misinformation cases in which people s beliefs about factual matters are not supported by clear evidence and expert opinion (Nyhan & Reifler, 2010) and presented research examples about misinformation and social media. Dr. Jones made a case for interdisciplinary research which can help one tackle complex subjects and questions such as this by employing different academic tools. The issue of GMO labeling has had the food industry, the government, activists and consumers bitterly divided over whether food should be genetically modified at all and if so, should it be labelled for the information of the public. The issue of food labeling itself has been a contentious topic among the same set of players and new labelling standards were enforced in July, 2015 after much public pressure. This also raises the question of consumer choices vis-à-vis food labeling and whether their consumption patterns are affected or influenced by the nutrition facts offered by the labels on the boxes. QUESTIONS Two questions arise in this problem, one from a sociological perspective and the other from a psychological one. Both research questions revolve around the issue of GMOs and food labeling and explore not just ethical concerns but also how consumer consumption behavior may be affected by what kind of labeling appears on the packaging.

4 From a social perspective, one could ask consumers if they read labels for nutrition information prior to purchasing food items and whether a label about GMO in the food could prevent them from purchasing it based on the perception that it is risky or unsafe for consumption. Second, from a psychology point of view, the primary question is what are the consumer s main sources of information about GMOS and whether they would trust GMO foods more if they were told that the US government, specifically the FDA, considers genetically engineered foods to be safe and practically the same as any non-genetically engineered plant in terms of nutritional values and health? Would they still insist on labelling of GMOs? METHODS Since both questions revolve around consumer perception about GMO labelling, we could design quantitative methods to study their opinions. In such cases, a detailed survey of consumers with the help of a carefully constructed questionnaire and interviews will answer questions about their consumption habits, the relevance of food labelling vis-à-vis consumption behavior, the perception about GMOs and how strongly they feel about GMO labelling. ANSWERS Since the questions deal primarily with consumer perceptions, a detailed survey of a random representative sample is likely to be indicative of the mood and concerns of consumers and how strongly they feel about food labelling, specifically GMO labelling and whether it would affect their consumption habits. It would also provide clarity on how consumers arrive at decisions regarding GMOs and how their opinions are formed.

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