The Grocery Manufacturers Association is hosting a Washington, D.C. summit tomorrow, July 10, inviting over 300 companies to discuss the labeling of genetically modified foods. The meeting is in response to attempts on a state by state basis to require labeling of foods with genetically modified ingredients. In more than 25 states legislation or initiative petition requiring labeling has been introduced, most famously in California, where forty million dollars was spent to defeat a ballot proposal requiring labeling. Two states have approved labeling, although Connecticut’s approval is contingent on neighboring states also requiring labeling. Although the safety of GMOs is not really in doubt, and the FDA’s position against labeling is well-reasoned and strong, opponents of the technology will continue to lobby for labels whenever and wherever they can. The Senate recently rejected mandatory labeling by a vote of 71 to 27, hence the emphasis on changing state laws.

The organizers of the summit are publicly taking a position of openness, claiming that the attendees might well choose to double down on their present opposition to labeling and embark upon a campaign to educate consumers about GMOs. This is unlikely, given the past record of big companies’ willingness to take a stand on principle. The smart money would be on an agreement to adopt some form of nation wide labeling. This reaction will be understandable and perhaps even defensible from the point of view of the companies involved. Sorting products by state and labeling them in fifty different ways would be a nightmare of Kafka-esque proportions, which is exactly why the proponents of labeling have taken the fight to state capitols.