Image from JustLabelit.org
Health Impact News Editor Comments:
Politico broke a story last week showing how the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents such processed food giants as ConAgra, PepsiCo, and Kraft, is trying to preempt state GMO labeling laws by formulating a bill at the national level.
While the story in Politico mentions that this is a bill that could reach the floor sometime later this year, it is good to be aware of this potential strategy in case we see it end up as a rider or amendment in the Farm Bill, which is currently under debate.
Food industry to fire preemptive GMO strike
Excerpts:
The giants of the U.S. food industry who have spent millions fighting state-by-state efforts to mandate new labels for genetically modified organisms are taking a page from their opponents and pushing for a federal GMO law. But the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents such food and beverage leaders as ConAgra, PepsiCo and Kraft, isn’t exactly joining the anti-GMO movement. It’s advocating for an industry-friendly, law with a voluntary federal standard — a move that food activists see as a power grab by an industry that has tried to kill GMO labeling initiatives every step of the way.
The coalition behind the effort also includes the Snack Food Association, the American Frozen Food Institute and the American Bakers Association, as well as a number of other groups.
GMA’s proposal is aimed at protecting its members from having to fight a series of state labeling efforts as several states, including Colorado and Oregon, look to move forward with initiatives in 2014. The push for state-level action has prompted food, beverage and biotech companies to shell out big bucks to quash such efforts, which has also earned them some unfavorable press coverage.
GMA is looking for a federal solution to GMO labeling that would require the FDA to set up a voluntary labeling standard for foods that do not contain GMOs and determine the safety of GMO products. A section-by-section summary of the food industry’s legislation reveals it would preclude states from adopting any laws that are not identical to the federal requirements and create a legal framework so that FDA can take a more active role in regulating GMO-labeling claims.
Read the Full Article here.
Health Impact Editor Comments:
After this story broke, Food Democracy Now! issued a statement and started a campaign to prevent this legislation. They issued an action alert to its 650,000-person email list, which reportedly brought in more than 20,000 phone calls to Congressman Fred Upton’s office, as he is seen as a potential sponsor of the proposed legislation.
Stopping any national legislation to preempt state’s rights to label or restrict GMO crops is very important, and we are thankful for groups like Food Democracy Now.
However, proposing any legislation on the national level should be viewed with extreme caution, and calls for “telling Congress and FDA: Demand mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods…”, as many anti-GMO advocates are urging, is a strategy that could backfire. Any national legislature could be twisted and used to further promote the pro-GMO agenda.
States are already tackling this issue, and even though two state ballot initiatives in highly contested contests (California and Washington) have lost in the initial round, they have raised public awareness over the issue. The processed food, pro-GMO industry has definitely taken notice, and they are afraid of the consumer back lash.
In what was recently seen as almost purely a PR stunt, General Mills announced that their famous brand “Cheerios” would no longer contain GMOs. Since they are primarily made from oats, a crop from which no GMO equivalents exist, the decision lacked any real substance in this issue, other than to tap into the new billion dollar GMO-labeling industry being created. Remember, non-GMO does NOT equal “health food”. Food can still be heavily processed, full of chemicals and pesticides, and be called or labeled “non-GMO”.
There have been some real victories in preventing GMOs, however, and a strong argument could be made that mandatory labeling may not be the correct course of action. For example, one community in Hawaii recently signed into law a total ban on growing GMO crops.
Nothing at the national level should be passed that restricts communities from developing their own standards on GMOs, which should include a total ban on them if that is what citizens want. If they are banned, there is little need to label them.
Breaking: Monsanto Strikes Back to Kill GMO Labeling
by Dave Murphy
Food Democracy Now
Excerpts:
This is one of the most important emails that we will ever send. We’ve been hearing rumors about this for months, but Monsanto and the GMA have made their move.
Two days ago, Food Democracy Now! received an unpublished copy of Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s (GMA) secret plan to try to sneak in a toothless piece of legislation that would eliminate federal mandatory GMO labeling, give the illusion of serious regulation, usurp states’ rights to pass similar bills and call for “voluntary” labeling of GMOs based on fraudulent criteria.
The 5-page document details the 7 main provisions of the proposed bill and contains 3 pages of Monsanto and GMA talking points that outline their secret plan to undermine states’ rights, subverting both democracy and the will of the people, 90% of whom support GMO labeling.
This plan is so devious that it radically speeds up the approval process for new GMO crops, limits the FDA and USDA’s ability to extend premarket safety reviews, declares GMO foods “safe” and redefines genetically engineered foods as “bioengineered” in order to sanitize this deeply flawed technology to the American public. Make no mistake about it, this is an outrageous powergrab to deny Americans their basic right to GMO labeling and protect flawed GMO products – and we can’t allow them to get away with it.
Read the Full Article Here.
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