Report: GMO crops not harmful

Chicago Tribune (TNS)

CHICAGO

Genetically engineered crops present no more risk to human health than conventionally bred crops, but the evolution of resistance in both insects and weeds caused by growing such crops has become “a major agricultural problem,” according to a long-awaited study released Tuesday by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Beyond that, well, it’s complicated.

In Tuesday’s public briefing on the 400-plus-page report, there were some fist-pump moments for both sides of the ongoing debate in the food industry on labeling products that contain genetically modified organisms.

GMO ingredients are made from crops like corn, soybeans and sugar beets that have been bioengineered to resist herbicides and pests. Those supportive of GMOs lauded the report’s clear message that genetically engineered crops are not a food safety issue; those opposed trumpeted the report’s finding that bioengineered crops have not increased the rate of crop yield in the U.S.

In other words, there was a little something for everyone in the report, which likely will fuel more debate even while guiding policymakers on future policy and regulation.

“We took our job very seriously, because we know how contentious this issue is,” said Fred Gould, professor of entomology at North Carolina State University and chairman of the 20-person committee that produced the report, in his remarks Tuesday.

Some states are pushing forward laws requiring foods with GMOs to be labeled. A Vermont law that mandates labels - the first of its kind - takes effect July 1. In March, a bill that aimed to pre-empt laws like Vermont’s while also establishing a national voluntary standard stalled in the U.S. Senate.

In the past year or so, the drumbeat has steadily grown louder for mandatory labeling, as consumers and food advocates say they have a right to know what’s in their food. Meanwhile, many food companies have maintained such labeling would be misleading because there’s nothing harmful about GMO ingredients.

In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said the report “adds to the long list of research that shows genetically engineered foods are safe” and called on Congress to take action to “prevent further confusion.”

“USDA stands ready to work with Congress to develop a cohesive national system for giving shoppers the information they want to know about foods they are purchasing, without driving up costs or sending the wrong message about the safety of their food options,” Vilsack said in the statement.