In Vermont, many people pride themselves on eating healthy and are careful about what they put in their bodies. Recently, farmers and scientists have started to genetically modified food products, which a great deal of Vermonters are unhappy about. For this reason, Vermont passed a law, called the “GMO Labeling Law”, stating that companies must include all ingredients on their products. Despite an overwhelming majority of Vermont who dislikes the use of GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms), there are people on both sides of this argument.
There are many benefits to GMO’s including; feeding the growing population, allowing farmers to work less and get paid well. Genetically engineering crops makes them, “more pest-, drought- and cold-resistant” (NPR Staff). This means that more food is able to be put in grocery stores, making consumers and producers happy. Some even argue that without GMO’s we would not be able to keep this large of a population alive. Even though food companies and farmers recognize these positive aspects of GMO’s,…show more content… Many Vermonters believe that farmers actually use more pesticides with GMO’s. A study even showed that scientists do not actually know how safe these foods are in the long run because, “GE crops present risks to human health and the environment” (Enoch 1). Since there is so much question as to how safe these GMO’s are, many Vermont citizens do not want to take the chance of getting sick. This group of people was so passionate about this issue that a law was created requiring companies to label their products. This law, “to require labeling of GE foods is on firm legal ground” (Schilling 1) and “affirms…the rights of Vermonters and U.S. citizens across the country” (Schilling 1). This labeling law not only shows how much food means to Vermont citizens, but also shows the state’s true
