Pull back your spoon and aim — the debate about GMO food could impact your wallet.

Genetically Modified Organism (”GMO”) foods are a hot topic across political lines. A French documentary on food-giant Monsanto was recently pulled off of several online sites, again sparking the debate between food, profits, and the associated costs. (See the pulled video here).

Here are the simplified arguments, and how GMO foods could impact your financial future:

Pro

On the “pro-GMO” side of the table proponents claim that:

Genetically modified food only speeds up the natural selection process. Its use makes food cheaper and more accessible to a larger number of hungry people.

They argue that labeling GMO food increases prices, making staples more expensive.

Con

On the “against GMO” side of the table, proponents claim that:

Genetically-modified food poses an unknown risk to millions of people that needs political action. (See Barbara Boxer D-CA).

They claim the additional costs of labeling GMO food (or buying natural alternatives) is worth the extra cost, even if this means more expense for the consumer.

So how could GMO foods impact your personal finances?

First, consider your stock holdings. Public outcry over GMO foods are driving down the prices of agribusiness stocks like Monsanto. Depending on your investing ethics, this presents a “buy” situation to some. Conversely, it could spell tumbling stock prices to anyone unaware they are invested in this sector (for example, those who hold mutual funds but do not know their fund’s main investments).

Second, consider your food budget. You’ll likely pay a premium to avoid GMO food. This is worth it to some. Others do not have the luxury of choice. If that latter statement bothers you, consider political action.

Third: food is getting more expensive. This is due to a variety of factors ranging from increased gasoline prices, to environmental consequences. We Americans are spoiled by artificially low food prices compared to other countries. Could price spikes also reveal we are collectively beginning to realize the true costs associated with our food?

Bottom line: the debate over GMO foods will increase. How you spend and invest your money will influence this issue.

Related:
Save on Food: Tips for Eating Local Produce
4 Tips for Dealing with Food Price Increases
Why The Midwest Floods Could Impact The Cost Of Your Coke And Your Burger

Further Reading

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• How to Rebalance Your 401k (0)
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• Life-Long Lessons on Spending Money (0)

Tags: Biotechnology, Finance, Genetically modified organism, Genetics, Investment, Monsanto, Mutual fund, Science and Technology

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 at 10:10 am and is filed under Social/Environmental. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.