UPDATED: Connecticut Leaders Pass GMO Labeling Bill — Now What? Connecticut House and Senate leaders came to a bipartisan agreement today, as Senate leaders passed the amended GMO labeling bill 34-0. While we’re ecstatic about this historic move, our work here is not finished. The amended bill cannot go into effect until “four states, not including [Connecticut], enact a mandatory labeling law for genetically-engineered foods that is consistent with the provisions of this subsection, provided one such state borders Connecticut; and (2) the aggregate population of such states located in the northeast region of the United States that have enacted a mandatory labeling law for genetically-engineered foods that is consistent with this subsection exceed twenty million based on 2010 census figures.” This, however, doesn’t seem to be discouraging one champion of the bill, Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, who said, “This is a great day that we in Connecticut can lead the way on helping moms and dads across Connecticut, but I believe this can catch on across the nation, so that they can be informed and make informed choices when they buy foods.” Here’s hoping! Given its population and existing GMO labeling campaign, New York is clearly the next state to target. If you live in New York, please visit the GMO Free New York Take Action page to learn what you can do to create food and agricultural transparency in your state. Another somewhat disappointing, though fair, amendment to the original Senate-passed bill is that farmers grossing less than $1.5 million a year are no longer exempt. GMO-free certification and labeling can get rather costly, an imposition many advocates didn’t want passed down to honest farmers who sell their goods at farmers markets or in small, niche food stores. We’re still hopeful, though, that the non-GMO Project, the non-profit organization that currently serves as North America’s only third party verification and labeling for non-GMO foods and products, will find a way to offer verification to small farms at a lower cost. We’ll be sure to update this article with any developments as we learn them. (LAST UPDATED ON 06/03/2013) On the evening of My 21, 2013, Connecticut became the first state to pass a bill in its Senate that would require foods made with genetically modified ingredients to carry labels. While some foods will be exempt from the mandate, such as restaurant foods sold for immediate consumption and farm products sold at farmer’s markets, supporters view this as a huge victory. Currently, more than 93 percent of Americans support GMO labeling and 64 countries require labeling of genetically engineered foods. “We’re not banning anything, we’re not restricting anything, we’re not taxing anything,” Senate Republican leader John McKinney said at a press conference. “We’re just saying let moms and dads know what’s in the food they’re buying for their young kids… That’s not a lot to ask.” Also read Study Proves Bt Toxin in GMOs Damages Human Blood Cells Echoing support for the bill, Senate President Donald Williams said, “[t]his is a public health issue… The step that we are requesting, the mere labeling of food, is a very modest step … but it is a very important one so consumers can take action to protect their health and the health of their children.” Next steps for GMO labeling House Speaker Brendan Sharkey expressed concerns about Connecticut going out the GMO-labeling limb alone, stating, “I would like to see us be part of a compact with some other states, which would hopefully include one of the bigger states such as New York.” If the bill passes the House, three other states would need to pass similar legislation before the bill takes effect. More than a dozen states have GMO-labeling initiatives pending. Please visit JustLabelit.org to see if your state has introduced GMO labeling legislation and see how you can get involved.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:49:57 +0000
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