For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Genetic Engineering page, Millions Against Monsanto page and our Colorado News page.

Coloradans want to make informed decisions about the foods we eat. We are lucky enough to live in a country where we can choose from a wide variety of foods, but we are choosing blindly for ourselves and our families when we are not educated and informed about what is in the food we buy. A “yes” to Proposition 105 in November is a “yes” to the right of Coloradans to make informed choices about the food we eat and feed our families.

Under Proposition 105, labeling genetically engineered foods would provide basic information allowing Coloradans to make informed buying decisions by offering more choice and control over the transparency of their food-purchasing decisions. This is not a ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Proposition 105 proposes factual labeling only. No warning, ban or segregation of crops is included in Proposition 105.

GMOs are a fairly new addition to our food system, introduced into the food supply in 1996. Genetic modification takes certain genes from one species, like a fish, and puts them into a different species, like a tomato. This is different from hybridization, which is a cross between two naturally compatible varieties within the same species.

According to the USDA, 93 percent of corn, 94 percent of soybeans and 95 percent of cotton contain patented genetically engineered genes, as well as 95 percent of sugar beets and canola. Some GMO varieties of corn and soy can produce their own pesticides, but current labels give no indication that you are buying federally regulated pesticides. Current regulations do not provide adequate protection for consumers. Non-GMO and organic labeling currently is voluntary and covers less than 10 percent of the food products available.