David Bronner: Labeling is the only way to win

Published: September 1, 2011

Category: GM Food Labeling and Regulations

David Bronner is president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, and the main organizer of the Right2Know March to advocate for mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods, which will be held October 1-16 from New York City to Washington, DC.

Ken Roseboro, editor of The Organic & Non-GMO Report, interviewed Bronner about the upcoming march.

What led you to organize the Right2Know March?

DB: I got the idea for a march after speaking with Joseph Wilhelm (founder of Germany-based organic food company Rapunzel Naturkost) who organized successful GMO-free marches in Germany.

I wasn’t active on this issue until early this year. The GM alfalfa (deregulation) decision and GM salmon were a wake-up call for me. GMOs are becoming more and more entrenched, and if we don’t do something now everything will be GMO.

Initially I was open to pro-GMO rhetoric, but as time goes on I see that it’s all about selling more agricultural chemicals and dominating seed. It’s fine that insulin is produced using genetic engineering, but genetically engineered food is a disaster.

What do you hope to accomplish with the March?

DB: We want to really mobilize people and raise awareness of labeling with consumers. This is real opportunity to activate people.

What led to the March’s focus on GM food labeling?

DB: Labeling is something everyone can get behind. Give us the right to know what we are eating. It’s the most effective way of changing the current situation. We could march for a ban on GM foods, but a ban won’t happen.

Labeling is the only way to win. We have the Non-GMO Project, and can carve out our non-GMO niche, but if we want to win we have to have a labeling law.

With labeling we have a fighting chance. We saw what happened in Europe (when labeling was introduced it killed the market for GM foods).

What makes you confident your initiative to label GM foods can be successful?

DB: I think the organic industry can win. We have the grassroots and can win the media war. All the state initiatives to pass GM food labeling laws show that the grassroots energy is there.

What do you think will be the impact of GM food labeling?

DB: A labeling law would be the death of GMOs in the US.