I was terribly disappointed after election day. No, not because Romney lost. (Obama, W00T!) I was disappointed that California's Proposition 37 lost. This was the law that would make it mandatory for food companies to label foods that contain genetically modified ingredients.
Well crap. What do people have against getting more information?
That was my first thought. But after reading a bit more, I don't think this was about willful ignorance. I think this was about Goliath smashing David with a giant money stick. Some people will pay almost anything to keep you from knowing what's really in your food.
I was naive. I really thought Proposition 37 would pass. I couldn't vote on it, of course, because I don't live in California. But I sure was rooting for it to win -- and now I wish I'd done more to help. I do want genetically modified foods to be labeled. I think we need to know what's in our food. And that so much money was spent to defeat this proposition implies to me that biotech companies have something they desperately want to hide.
Monsanto, grocery manufacturers, and agriculture firms blew $46 million on a media blitz that told voters Prop 37 would be too expensive and bureaucratic.
Well this fight is not over. Same-sex marriage has been defeated again and again. And guess what? This year was different. Gay marriage was passed in three states this week. And someday, the "right to know" and "label it!" food movement will also reach the tipping point. Our food will get properly labeled. We'll just have to keep working on it. And in the meantime, I'm renewing my pledge to buy and eat non-GMO foods as much as possible.
Were you following Prop 37 in California? How would you have voted?
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Comments 7
This is shit. The government make pizza a food group and cans Prop 37; do people really think they give a shizz about "the People's" health & well-being?
On the + side, it's not that difficult educate yourself on non-GMO foods and to read labels; I live in the Midwest and my family eats a 100% organic/non-GMO diet. It's tough (especially having to drive 45 minutes just to get a damn organic beat after October), but it's doable.
I like the idea, but not the execution in this case. Certain foods were exempt and the cost of food would likely go up, and now is not the time for people to pay more for necessities.
The cost of food would not have gone up. That was Monsanto propaganda and it obviously worked, along with other disgusting lies and trickery. Monsanto is the most evil corporation to ever exist. I am so disappointed this did not pass.