Despite Prop. 37's Loss in Last Night's Election, the Fight for GMO Labeling Soldiers On

Proposition 37, the California initiative to label genetically modified food, was defeated last night with a 53% majority vote against the proposed labeling law.

But just because this battle was lost, those behind the Yes on 37 campaign say the war is far from over. The group is focusing on the 4.3 million Californians who voted yes on the proposition, as well as the fact that the campaign built a grassroots movement with more than 10,000 volunteers and more than $2 million raised online. All that momentum won't just go away. "There's a huge amount of energy to go forward and win this fight," says Stacy Malkan, Media Director for the pro-labeling group California Right to Know.

                            -SNIP-

Most of all, the proposition brought genetically modified foods and products into the national spotlight. I personally knew little about GM foods before I started writing about Prop 37, and since have had dozens of conversations with friends and others in the food community about the issue. The amount of media attention paid to the ballot measure in California, including think pieces from national food writers like Mark Bittman, Michael Pollan, and Marion Nestle, ensures that the GMO conversation will continue long after the memory of Prop. 37 fades.

JUMP