In the wake of a 56%-44% defeat of California’s Proposition 37, which would have required labeling of genetically engineered foods, the San Francisco Examiner newspaper’s online editorial asked the relevant question:
“Polls routinely show that 90% of all Americans support genetically modified food labeling. So how is it that California’s Proposition 37 was defeated so soundly yesterday?”
Here’s their answer:
“A last-minute $45-$48 million advertising campaign by multi-national food corporations asking the state’s voters to vote No on Prop 37. [It] would seem that pure, old-fashioned, repetitive advertising carried the day.”
Maybe money was the deciding factor, but allow me to amplify that insight somewhat: Prop 37 failed because it was a lousy law that was fatally positioned by the organic and natural foods interests that drummed up the measure in the first place.
Here’s why.
Finish here.
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
