Reuters | January 13, 2000 | By Randy Fabi
HOUSTON - U.S. farmers emphatically oppose any federally-required labels on foods made with genetically modified crops as the European Union, Japan, South Korea and others move to give consumers more information, a Reuters straw poll said Thursday.
Nearly 88 percent of the 400 farmers surveyed said they believe bioengineered foods are safe and do not need special labels.
The poll was conducted at the annual convention of the nation's largest farm group, the American Farm Bureau Federation. The meeting tends to attract larger and more sophisticated U.S. growers.
Consumers, especially in Europe, have been increasingly vocal in demanding tighter regulation of gene-spliced soybeans, corn and other crops. They contend extra caution is in order because not enough is known about the crops' long-term impact on health and the environment.
Farmers at the meeting said consumer groups urging the Food and Drug Administration to mandate labels on gene-altered foods are over-reacting.
"From seedless grapes to watermelons and cucumbers, people have eaten genetically modified products every day without noticing it or worrying about it," said Brian Andrews, an Illinois soybean farmer. "A small minority of people have frightened consumers for no logical reason but for their own agendas."
Although farmers were opposed to labeling, many said in the poll they planned to reduce plantings of genetically modified crops this year, partly because of the consumer response.
Governments in several other countries have moved ahead with stricter regulations in response to consumer concerns.
The European Commission is considering a plan to require labels on bioengineered foods in which at least one ingredient contains more than one percent of altered material. Japan and South Korea plan to introduce mandatory labels on genetically-altered foods next year.
The U.S. FDA held a series of public meetings on biotech regulations in November and December and is now mulling what, if any, regulations should be changed.
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said earlier this week he did not believe the government is likely to require U.S. food manufacturers or grocery stores to put labels on altered foods. He said the food industry was trying to find ways to give consumers more information, short of labels.
The USDA regulates the safety of genetically-modified crops in the field, while the FDA has authority over foods and food additives. The Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates pesticides, also has a role in regulating crops engineered to repel certain pests or to resistant farm chemicals.
Meanwhile, two U.S. companies operating natural food grocery stores have announced they will stop carrying bioengineered products, in response to customer requests.
Some experts say health-conscious American consumers are demanding more details about their food, and expect to get it.
"Labeling will occur because consumers perceive its risks as outweighing its benefits," said Gerald Nelson, an agriculture professor at the University of Illinois.
A separate poll earlier this week by the American Farm Bureau and Philip Morris Cos Inc. suggested that U.S. consumers were more concerned about farmers' use of pesticides than gene-altered crops. Nearly three-fourths of the 1,002 consumers who responded to the survey said they would support genetically modified crops if the technology means that farmers can reduce pesticide use.
Philip Morris, which helped fund the survey, owns Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Post, and Miller food brands.
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