Should genetically engineered (GE) foods be labeled? Yes. In this article, I will lead you through the many why’s of this argument.
As you may have heard, HR 1599, incorrectly named “The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act” introduced by Rep. Pompeo with guidance from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), was passed by the US House of Representatives on July 23, 2015.
The bill is commonly referred to as the “Deny Americans the Right to Know” or DARK Act, as it extends unprecedented protection to Monsanto and other biotechnology companies while decimating state- and consumer rights.
In addition to barring states from creating their own food labeling requirements for genetically modified organisms (GMOs), HR 1599 also preempts any and all state and local regulation of GE crops - increasing corporate control of our food systems.
Adding insult to injury, HR 1599 will allow GMOs to be labeled as “natural,” while forcing the the burden of cost to conventional food providers, requiring a federal certification to be labeled as non-GMO.
HR 1599 clearly flies in the face of polls showing that 94 percent of Americans think GMO labeling should be mandatory, which makes it even more obvious that our political system has become corrupted to the core.
The answer, however, is not to throw our hands up and think nothing that can be done about it. We CAN hold our elected leaders accountable by remembering how they vote on this issue, and we CAN let them know we WILL do so.
The starting point is always to discuss a state’s rights. Anytime the federal government takes away state rights, it is feeding into the hands of accumulated power and corporate influence. We absolutely must demand local food & local democracy for the future of this country.
