Remember when the bad guy in a cowboy movie walked into the saloon and the only sound breaking the utter silence was the jaw dropping of every customer? That image is the one portrayed every time Monsanto has been brought up during this trip, with everyone on the edge of their seat waiting to hear what will be said next about this controversial company. Today we were able to hear from what some people would refer to worse than the spawn of Satan, a *gasp* Monsanto employee. For such an “evil” guy, he seemed well………..nice.

Monsanto is one of the largest biotechnology corporations in the world, and it is often displayed in a negative light – if you could not tell by my introduction – by the media. One of the current controversies is whether Monsanto, among other companies, should be forced to label foods and crops that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). I mean any crop that has been altered from the original, natural form must be bad for you right?

There has yet to be a report with credible or significant data to suggest that GMOs are bad for a person’s health. The U.S. regulatory system has been strict in granting approval for GMO products, keeping public health as its number one priority. This strict system should assure the public that any GMO-based product that received a  “thumbs up” should not be deemed automatically unhealthy. Is it fair to force companies to stick a label, which might as well be a skull and crossbones, on GMO products, potentially scaring away the uninformed buyer?

GMO-based corporations would be getting the shaft in this deal, as they lose business from a scare tactic employed by (Who actually is behind this push? Organic farmers?). I have always been a strong believer that perception is reality, and the perception by the American public is that GMOs are simply bad for their health. Consumers will start comparing this label as if it were a warning posted on a cigarette box and avoid buying such products. Is there a fair way to inform the public that a product has been genetically modified without hindering the company in the process?

The solution to this predicament is a bit indirect; however, it would solve the problem. If organic farmers want to warn their consumers that a product has GMO’s then the organic farmers should label their products with an “Organic” label. If a consumer notices there is no “Organic” label on the product, it is safe to say that the product was then genetically modified. However, this label will not make the consumer assume that GMOs are bad for them, and consumers can make their own rational decision. While I think the difference between GMO and organic products is like comparing a sneetch with a star to one without, if this label makes the organic farmer feel better, than I am all for it.