Well, maybe not all week, but at least for the next few days I’ll be writing about some agricultural issues.
Daylin Leach, a Democratic State Senator from Wayne (near Philadelphia) has introduced a bill to require labels in Pennsylvania for genetically-modified organisms, or GMOs, in grocery stores. Earlier this month Whole Foods announced that it would require labels for any genetically-modified food.
According to an article in Lancaster Farming by Chris Torres (3/16/13), Leach’s bill is opposed by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and the PennAg Industries, both representing large agribusiness. An executive vice president of PennAg industries said such a policy would put Pennsylvania at a competitive disadvantage and force some companies to move out of state.
GMOs are probably safe and may represent a boon to agriculture. Nonetheless, I have two comments. First, if GMOs are so great, why not label them? Why shouldn’t consumers be informed? Secondly, I am so tired of business threats to move away if we don’t do exactly what they want. If company workers want to join a union, the company will move to Thailand. If New York passes a gun control measure, Winchester will move its manufacturing plant to Mississippi. If Palmerton wishes to limit large buildings on Delaware Avenue, local business will move out. It gets tiresome.
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