As the 2012 Farm Bill continues to
take shape in the halls of the United States Congress, the immense
influence of corporate interests is on display.
On
June 21 the United States Senate voted overwhelmingly against the
Sanders Amendment that would have allowed states to pass legislation
that required food and beverage products to label whether or not they
contain genetically engineered ingredients.
The
amendment, proposed by Independent Senator from Vermont, Bernie
Sanders, is particularly relevant as many states prepare to vote on a
ballot initiatives that would require such labelling of genetically
modified (GM) foods.
Lobbyists
from the biotech industry have ardently opposed GMO labelling. These
opponents argue that because food labelling has historically been
handled by the Food and Drug Association (FDA), it is a federal issue
and, therefore, individual states do not have the right to implement
such legislation. Indeed, in the case of Vermont, Sanders' home state,
Monsanto successfully intimidated the state legislature from voting on a
bill that would have required GMO labelling.
Patty
Lovera, the assistant director of Food and Water Watch, explained that
states planning to vote on GM labelling in November could face a legal
fight to defend their right to enact such laws.
No comments:
Post a Comment