Exploring the GMO narrative through labeling: strategies, products, and politics
Labels are influential signals in the marketplace intended to inform and to eliminate buyer confusion. Despite this, food labels continue to be the subject of debate. None more so than non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) labels. This manuscript provides a timeline of the evolution of GMO labels...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | GM Crops & Food |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645698.2024.2318027 |
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| author | Camille D. Ryan Elizabeth Henggeler Samantha Gilbert Andrew J. Schaul John T. Swarthout |
| author_facet | Camille D. Ryan Elizabeth Henggeler Samantha Gilbert Andrew J. Schaul John T. Swarthout |
| author_sort | Camille D. Ryan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Labels are influential signals in the marketplace intended to inform and to eliminate buyer confusion. Despite this, food labels continue to be the subject of debate. None more so than non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) labels. This manuscript provides a timeline of the evolution of GMO labels beginning with the early history of the anti-GMO movement to the current National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard in the United States. Using media and market intelligence data collected through Buzzsumo™ and Mintel™, public discourse of GMOs is analyzed in relation to sociopolitical events and the number of new food products with anti-GMO labels, respectively. Policy document and publication data is collected with Overton™ to illustrate the policy landscape for the GMO topic and how it has changed over time. Analysis of the collective data illustrates that while social media and policy engagement around the topic of GMOs has diminished over time, the number of new products with a GMO-free designation continues to grow. While discourse peaked at one point, and has since declined, our results suggest that the legacy of an anti-GMO narrative remains firmly embedded in the social psyche, evidenced by the continuing rise of products with GMO-free designation. Campaigns for GMO food labels to satisfy consumers’ right to know were successful and the perceived need for this information now appears to be self-sustaining. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-624f12cc77b5424db0438c8f48ee588c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2164-5698 2164-5701 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | GM Crops & Food |
| spelling | doaj-art-624f12cc77b5424db0438c8f48ee588c2025-08-20T02:49:20ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGM Crops & Food2164-56982164-57012024-12-01151516610.1080/21645698.2024.2318027Exploring the GMO narrative through labeling: strategies, products, and politicsCamille D. Ryan0Elizabeth Henggeler1Samantha Gilbert2Andrew J. Schaul3John T. Swarthout4Strategic Insights, Bayer Crop Science Canada,Calgary, CanadaStrategic Insights, Bayer Crop Science, St. Louis, MO, USAE-Commerce Search and Catalog Analysis, Millipore Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USAStrategic Insights, Bayer Crop Science, St. Louis, MO, USARegulatory Scientific Affairs, Bayer Crop Science, Chesterfield, MO, USALabels are influential signals in the marketplace intended to inform and to eliminate buyer confusion. Despite this, food labels continue to be the subject of debate. None more so than non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) labels. This manuscript provides a timeline of the evolution of GMO labels beginning with the early history of the anti-GMO movement to the current National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard in the United States. Using media and market intelligence data collected through Buzzsumo™ and Mintel™, public discourse of GMOs is analyzed in relation to sociopolitical events and the number of new food products with anti-GMO labels, respectively. Policy document and publication data is collected with Overton™ to illustrate the policy landscape for the GMO topic and how it has changed over time. Analysis of the collective data illustrates that while social media and policy engagement around the topic of GMOs has diminished over time, the number of new products with a GMO-free designation continues to grow. While discourse peaked at one point, and has since declined, our results suggest that the legacy of an anti-GMO narrative remains firmly embedded in the social psyche, evidenced by the continuing rise of products with GMO-free designation. Campaigns for GMO food labels to satisfy consumers’ right to know were successful and the perceived need for this information now appears to be self-sustaining.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645698.2024.2318027Disinformationgenetically modified organismsGMOslabelingmisinformationpublic perceptions |
| spellingShingle | Camille D. Ryan Elizabeth Henggeler Samantha Gilbert Andrew J. Schaul John T. Swarthout Exploring the GMO narrative through labeling: strategies, products, and politics GM Crops & Food Disinformation genetically modified organisms GMOs labeling misinformation public perceptions |
| title | Exploring the GMO narrative through labeling: strategies, products, and politics |
| title_full | Exploring the GMO narrative through labeling: strategies, products, and politics |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the GMO narrative through labeling: strategies, products, and politics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the GMO narrative through labeling: strategies, products, and politics |
| title_short | Exploring the GMO narrative through labeling: strategies, products, and politics |
| title_sort | exploring the gmo narrative through labeling strategies products and politics |
| topic | Disinformation genetically modified organisms GMOs labeling misinformation public perceptions |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645698.2024.2318027 |
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