Cory Booker has a lot of fans among progressives — not just in New Jersey, but across the country. His commentaries on topics from food stamps to prison reform to solar energy are quoted, memed, and placed on internet pedestals. However, one tweet from Sunday will likely not be proudly repeated by many of Booker’s pro-science supporters — in response to a question on Twitter, the popular senator expressed support for labeling GMOs.
GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are a big ideological divide that is unusual in how it spans the political spectrum. It isn’t a Republicans-vs-Democrats or conservatives-vs-progressives issue — there are people at every point of the spectrum who love and hate GMOs.
However, a number of Booker’s fans who are big supporters of science and evidence-based policies were more than a little shocked at Booker’s tweet. Here’s the progression.
First, there was this question from a Twitter user.
@CoryBooker Where do you stand when it comes to genetically modified foods?
— Colin Spencer Wood (@ColinSWood) May 3, 2015
Booker responded.
Lets label GMOs https://t.co/TMFkAEPnF5
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 3, 2015
Then, the internet exploded. Cory Booker was told his views were anti-science, pro-scare-tactic, and overall ignorant. He was even told he needed a good chat with Neil deGrasse Tyson. Mostly, though, followers seemed confused, and wanted to know: Why?
@CoryBooker should we also put labels on products that contain other things science has found safe? I like you, but anti-gmo = anti-science
— Dave Warren (@davecwarren) May 3, 2015
@CoryBooker Why do you think they should be labeled? Is there a safety concern?
— keith kloor (@keithkloor) May 3, 2015
@CoryBooker Why? How about let’s not scare people with bad science?
— Stan Brooks (@comhcinc) May 3, 2015
Of course, labeling GMO foods may seem, on the surface, like a fine political line to walk between supporting them and banning them. Why not let people make an educated choice? The truth, though, is that this would mean a lot of labels, and a lot of questions. It would mean adding labels to a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a lot of confusion for consumers.
Scientific American covered this topic over a year ago, explaining that in places where GMO foods are labeled, grocers sometimes fear to carry them — thus actually limiting people’s choices, rather than expanding them.
“Americans who oppose genetically modified foods would celebrate a similar exclusion. Everyone else would pay a price. Because conventional crops often require more water and pesticides than GMOs do, the former are usually more expensive. Consequently, we would all have to pay a premium on non-GMO foods—and for a questionable return.”
It further notes that all GMO foods currently on the market have been tested extensively by the FDA.
Monsanto takes a similar position .
“We oppose current initiatives to mandate labeling of ingredients developed from GM seeds in the absence of any demonstrated risks. Such mandatory labeling could imply that food products containing these ingredients are somehow inferior to their conventional or organic counterparts.”
The GMO giant further notes, though, that they do support voluntary labeling, and extensive safety testing.
Cory Booker may have tried to walk a tightrope between two deep pits on this issue, or he may simply not be familiar with the issues in labeling GMO foods — but either way, many of his pro-science fans are slightly peeved.
[Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images]
