双方转基因争论

On Wednesday, a county in Oregon banned the use of genetically modified (GM) crops. This news comes on the heels of佛蒙特州通过法律上个月现在需要在缅因州和康涅狄格州的领先地位之后标明有转基因成分的食物。加州和华盛顿州试图去年通过类似的法律，但缩短了。目前，在29个州的遗传修饰的有机体（GMO）标签账单有85名待遇。

So what is ‘GMO Labeling,’ and why are people so passionate about it?

GMO, which stands for genetically modified organisms, is a term applied to any plant or animal that has undergone gene alteration in order to adapt to pesticides or diseases. Most GMOs are “typically used to make ingredients that are then used in other food products,”according to the FDA。事实上，杂货店的货架上的食物高达60-70％含有GMO，而最常见的是玉米，油菜，大豆和棉花。

PRO-LABELING ARGUMENT

There is no denying that the anti-GMO camp has been gaining momentum the past few years. Such momentum, in fact, thatPackaged Factshas projected that sales for GMO-free food will top $800 billion, double that of 2012 sales.

争论的核心或多或少地，人类应该知道他们的食物中的内容。而且似乎也是真正的广泛支持，也支持它。纽约时报民意调查去年发现，93％的美国人希望看到标记的转基因（GM）食品。The EUhas adapted labeling for GM products, and anything GM also undergoes stringent risk assessment tests before it is allowed to be sent to the market.

More radical anti-GMO activists also do not believe that genetically engineered food is sustainable for health or for the environment, and corporations that promote them shouldn’t be trusted. They claim that organizations like Monsanto and the FDA, which make day-to-day decisions on the eating habits of Americans, are not looking out for the interests of average Americans. “Big Food,” or “Big Ag” as these organizations have come to be known, have a specific bottom line: money.

More and more food corporations seem to be跳上“没有转基因”的潮流。Cheerios no longer using genetically engineered ingredients, and Whole Foods vowing to have everything in the store labeled by 2018.

ANTI-LABELING ARGUMENT

对那些不同意标签的人的论证的关键是不必要的，并且可能非常昂贵。例如，大西洋指出if the labeling trend continues, it would create “a 50-state patchwork of conflicting labeling requirements that could force manufacturers to package, say, potato chips differently from one state to another.” Basically, this means it would be costly and burdensome to food companies.

此外，没有大量证据证明转基因生物根本是危险的。“文明依赖于人们修改植物的能力，使其更适合作为食品，饲料和纤维植物，”美国科学促进协会在一份声明中表示。至于环境伤害转基因生物可能导致Grist的食品作家指出转基因作物实际上已经降低了整个美国整体的杀虫剂的使用。

但是，虽然有利于生物工程作物的人在他们身边有一些事实，但历史可能会反对他们。强烈支持GMO的组织，例如Heartland Institute和Hoover Institute，也有人涉及气候变化的怀疑论者和卷烟与癌症之间的联系。

无论哪一方的论点,你落在the debate about the GMO labeling doesn’t look like it will be going away anytime soon.