Genetically Modified Foods -- Boo

Fearful consumers are now campaigning to have genetically modified (GM) foods labeled so that those who choose to avoid them will be able to do so more easily.  Fine.   I'm all for full disclosure.

It's the motivation behind the move to label GM foods that I find troubling.  The idea that people would be frighted away from such foods seems silly.  But, I just don't know.  I do know that in Europe they have rules and regulations against GM foods.  I can understand that, but it has nothing to do with safety.  Europe's farms are smaller than American farms.  You can't operate them as efficiently.  Machinery that makes sense in the U.S. becomes cramped on a small European plot.  Why open competition to overseas farmers who are already far more efficient producers of foods?  Anyway, European farms seem more intended for their scenic value than their ability to produce food in large quantities.

Things change and generally for the better.  Early people left fields lie fallow for a period of years so that the land could regenerate itself.  That made sense back then.  In fact, it was turned into a religious obligation.  However, it became pointless, except to the faithful, when people learned the basics of fertilization.  In many places, land was regenerated by applying the dung of bats gathered from caves near the west coast of South America and shipped to farms around the world.  Fertilizing soil became easier (and cheaper) once Dr. Haber learned how to chemically fix nitrogen.  These giant steps in agriculture were made with nary an objection.

Homogenization of milk and other foods, the use of emulsifiers, and radiation and pasteurization to forestall spoilage and improve food quality have all been implemented without much fuss.  But times do seem to change.  When fluoridation of water was introduced as a way of improving the dental health of children, many people decried it as un-American and communist inspired.  Today, with many people getting their drinking water in plastic bottles (water generally unflouridated), dentists are beginning to notice a decline in the dental health of children.

During a stay in St Augustine, FL, I came across a hotel that was one of the first such edifices constructed of poured concrete.  It was quite a fancy hotel for its time.  You couldn't just stop by and check in; you had to be invited.  It was also one of the first hotels in America to be electrified.  That meant that you could turn on a light by simply flipping a wall switch.  However, many of the guests were so fearful of the switch (electrification was a new development back then) that when they wanted to turn on a light they had a servant flip the switch.

Now, it's GM foods and the fear of Frankenstein broccoli.  Let's begin to act mature and get on with the work of feeding the hungary.  Frankly, I'm a fan of food free from blight.  I also like fatter salmon.