This November, Californians will vote for or against Prop 37, the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act. The outcome of that vote will likely determine whether the U.S. will one day join the nearly 50 other countries that allow their citizens to choose between genetically engineered and non-genetically engineered food through the enactment of laws requiring mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)....

Behind every organization working furiously, and spending liberally, to keep consumers in the dark, is a fierce determination to protect profits. The GMA and its members know that a nation of informed consumers and truthful labels on grocery store products would sound the death knell for "profit-at-any-cost" food manufacturers, grocers, and corporate agribusiness and biotech companies. These industries understand that if foods are properly labeled, millions of consumers will read the labels on so-called "conventional" and "natural" foods, note the presence of GMOs, complain to store managers, and in many cases seek out non-GMO and organic marketplace alternatives. This is why Monsanto has described labels on genetically engineered foods as equivalent to painting a "skull and crossbones" on them.

And of course, this is why the GMA has described California's ballot initiative to label genetically engineered foods as a "serious, long-term threat to agricultural biotechnology" and their "single highest priority." This despite mounting evidence, including a recent report by genetic engineers that includes a large body of peer-reviewed scientific and other authoritative evidence citing potential health hazards of GMOs.