Labelling, Trade and Genetically Modified Organisms—A Proposed Solution

This article assess the current controversy over genetically modified organisms (GMO) in agriculture and their potential implication for the global trading system. More importantly, it offers a solution to the serious potential for injury to this system. A negative labelling scheme is proposed as a partial solution to the current impasse over GMOs in the world trading system. The negative labelling scheme proposed resonds jointly to global consumers' right to eat foods or to use seeds that contain no GMOs, while preventing such labels from becoming disguised barriers to trade and food security.