Proposition 37, for those not keeping track, would make California the first state in the nation to require food manufacturers and farmers to label any foods containing GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. And much like Prop 29, the tobacco tax measure narrowly defeated in June's special election, the deep pockets of Prop 37's corporate opponents have succeeded in turning the tide of public opinion on what was, just a month ago, a highly popular initiative.
Lots of people fear and/or don't understand GMOs, and while there's no direct evidence showing how they're doing harm to people, they do represent industrial farming at its most terrifyingly efficient. You have pest-resistent corn that's being over-produced across the heartland, subsidized by the government, and landing in everything from our juice, to feed given to cows and chickens, to those Wheat Thins sitting in your desk drawer. Hence more than 65% of Californians supported Prop 37 in polling done just about a month ago, and hence companies like Monsanto, DuPont, and PepsiCo have bankrolled a tidal wave of TV and radio ads denouncing the proposition, which have succeeded in chipping away at public support. It's now expected to fail, because consumers have been told it's poorly conceived and will result in higher grocery bills.
Monsanto enemy and sustainability advocate Michael Pollan argued in the New York TImes Magazine three weeks ago that Prop 37 would be, in essence, a national referendum against Big Food. He writes:
Big Food is also feeling beleaguered by its increasingly skeptical and skittish consumers ... [And] it appears the loss of confidence is mutual: the food industry no longer trusts us, either, which is one reason a label on genetically modified food is so terrifying: we might react “irrationally” and decline to buy it. To win back this restive public, Big Food recently began a multimillion-dollar public-relations campaign, featuring public “food dialogues,” aimed at restoring our faith in the production methods on which industrial agriculture depends, including pharmaceuticals used to keep animals healthy and speed their growth; pesticides and genetically modified seeds; and concentrated animal feeding operations. ... Americans have been eating genetically engineered food for 18 years, and as supporters of the technology are quick to point out, we don’t seem to be dropping like flies. But they miss the point. The fight over labeling G.M. food is not foremost about food safety or environmental harm, legitimate though these questions are. The fight is about the power of Big Food.
Meanwhile, John Birdsall over at Chow makes a reasoned argument for why he's voting for 37, despite it not being perfect. Also, no surprise, Alice Waters is a big supporter of 37, as are this lengthy list of California chefs, as are this random group of celebrities including James Franco, Danny DeVito, Molly Ringwald, Minnie Driver, and James Van Der Beek.
You hear that, California? Dawson wants you to vote Yes on this thing. Do as you will.
