Originally published July 18 2013
GMO labeling initiative continues full-speed ahead toward victory: How are you supporting the movement?
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Despite its recent defeat in the most populous state in the country, Proposition 37 in California, the bill that would have mandated the labeling of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), has spurred nationwide interest in passing "right to know" legislation. And just within the past few weeks, there has been considerable progress in the fight for full food transparency, including the passage of GMO labeling laws in both Connecticut and Maine.
Beyond this, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently approved a non-GMO label claim for meat products, which will help consumers identify which meat products come from animals not fed GM grains and other controversial foodstuffs. Fresh food chain Chipotle also made the voluntary decision recently to label GMOs on its website, setting a new precedent for what the public now expects from the food service industry.
On all fronts, awareness about GMOs is growing, and people are increasingly insistent that GMOs be properly identified. This is perhaps part of the reason why the Senate Appropriations Committee recently broke the status quo by actually moving forward with a bill to fund the labeling of GM salmon, should the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) soon decide to approve the widely-opposed "Frankenfish."
"It's simply a matter of time," says Scott Faber, Executive Director of the Just Label It campaign, about the eventual inevitability of mandatory GMO labeling all across the country, as quoted by Food Safety News. "I think companies are starting to realize the fight is worse than the label."
We the People are making history in the fight for food transparency
This, of course, was made evident by the fact that the factory food industry, with the backing of biotechnology giant Monsanto, spent more than $40 million to defeat Prop. 37. And this by only a very narrow margin of less than 3 percent, at least according to the official count. Big Food definitely had the upper hand in painting Prop. 37 as "bad for farmers,' and yet more than six million California voters still came out to the polls to support mandatory GMO labeling in their state.
"Maine's momentous vote rides on the wave of the growing movement for GE labeling in New England and across the country, and symbolizes the common sentiment by consumers everywhere for greater transparency in our food," adds Katrina Staves, Campaign Manager for Just Label It.
One of the most recent signs of positive progress was the Senate Appropriations Committee's passage of an amendment to the 2014 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that would furnish the FDA with $150,000 to spend on labeling for GM salmon. Though not officially approved as of this writing, the so-called "AquAdvantage" salmon would have to be labeled as part of the legislation.
"The tide is shifting in states across the nation and on Capitol Hill in favor of labeling genetically engineered foods," says Colin O'Neil, Director of Government Affairs at the consumer advocacy group Center for Food Safety. "Consumers are overwhelmingly demanding that genetically engineered foods be labeled. The Murkowski amendment is a big step forward for consumer rights."
Keep pushing your representatives to support truth in labeling
According to EcoWatch.com, the Murkowski amendment marks the first time that a GMO labeling requirement has passed the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill will now move on to the Senate to by synchronized with the House version of the bill, and will hopefully be passed in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, you can continue warning your family and friends about the dangers of GMOs, which are outlined in great detail in the Earth Open Source report GMO Myths and Truths:
http://earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/58
You can also contact your local and state officials and urge their support for improved transparency in food labeling:
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
http://www.senate.gov
Sources for this article include:
http://www.foodsafetynews.com
http://www.kcet.org
http://justlabelit.org/press-room/#PR28
http://ecowatch.com
http://earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/58
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