Thursday, November 19, 2015

GMO FREE USA......DON'T TREAD ON ME.

Dear Friend,

On Tuesday I went to Washington DC to deliver our petition for mandatory GMO labeling which contained 47,500 signatures from our supporters. The petition urged the Senate to kill HB 1599, AKA the DARK Act, which would prohibit mandatory GMO labeling at the state level and prohibit the creation of state or local level GMO-free zones. Not only would it prevent future efforts, but the Dark Act would also undo years of work to pass existing GMO labeling laws in Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine and it would nullify all 10 GMO-free zones currently established in the US.

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I had the good fortune to meet with Senator Debbie Stabenow's staff who promised to deliver the petition, as well as a printout of our list of over 2,000 peer reviewed studies,reviews and reports on GMOs and their related agrichemicals that suggest harmful effects to our health, our environment, and to our economy, to the Senate Ag Committee.

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I was told during this meeting that Senator Stabenow stands with us in support of mandatory labeling, but there would be no bill introduced to Congress that mirrors the standards passed in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine because such a bill would not pass in the Senate. I was told that the technology for QR codes--a code that would appear on food packages and would need to be scanned with a smart phone app or an additional costly scanner--was in the works as an alternative. I explained that we must protect states rights and that if a bill could not be passed that would make the VT, CT and ME standard a national standard, then it is not the time to pass ANY bill at the federal level. The American public will NOT compromise or settle for anything less.

(QR Code Example)

We were shocked to learn that the FDA approved genetically engineered salmon, the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption. We also learned that Senator Stabenow is now a proponent of the biotech industry's effort to take away our right to know what's in our food by creating a complicated, misleading, and expensive voluntary QR code scheme instead of on-the-package labeling of GMO foods. Senator Stabenow is in support of a rider to be attached to an upcoming appropriations bill that would preempt state labeling laws and would push through this voluntary and unacceptable QR code scheme as a "solution" to mandatory food labeling before the end of this year

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What a mockery it is when the biotech industry complains that food prices would rise by $500 per family if they are required to add a few words to their labels, and yet now they are proposing an expensive, technology-driven alternative.

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And how are they going to stamp a QR code on genetically engineered salmon filets?

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We are at a crossroads regarding the future of our agricultural system and our food supply. The decisions made in the next few weeks will effect us for the next 50 to 100 years. Are we going to choose a path of food transparency and food democracy, or are we going to trample state's rights to protect the biotech industry's profits by continuing to insulate GMO foods from the free market?

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We need your help NOW. Can you take just a few minutes to call Senator Stabenow andpolitely but firmly tell her that we will NOT settle for anything less than clear, on-the-package labeling of GMO foods at the same standard as Vermont's GMO labeling law? That we will NOT stand by while Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine's GMO labeling laws are taken away in a blatent trampling of state's rights?

Senator Stabenow can be reached via phone at:

(202) 224-4822(202) 224-4822 in DC or: (906) 228-8756(906) 228-8756 in Michigan.

Our volunteer staff is working very hard to ensure that our lawmakers are held responsible for the decisions they make about our food supply at this critical moment in our food transparency campaign. We know this issue is important to you, can you help support our efforts by making a small donation today? If just half of our supporters donated $5 today, we would have the funds needed to fight these alarming proposed changes to our food supply. Can you help us help you by making a donation today?

As always, we thank you so much for your support!

Sincerely,

Diana Reeves
Founder and Excecutive Director
GMO Free USA

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P.O. Box 458
Unionville, CT 06085
info@gmofreeusa.org

Legislation by Blackmail?

Legislation by Blackmail?

Dear Organic Consumer,

The secret is out.

According to a report in PoliticoPro this morning, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) will attach a rider to the end-of-year budget bill to keep corporations from having to label GMOs.

We will do everything in our power to stop this, or any last-ditch effort to stomp out GMO labeling laws. If we fail, we will ramp up the largest Big Food Boycott in history.

Please donate today to keep Monsanto and Sen. Debbie Stabenow from blackmailing Congress into taking away your right to GMO labels on your food, and to help us prepare a massive Big Food Boycott. Donate online now, or donate by mail or phone. Details here.

Sources told PoliticoPro that Stabenow wants to preempt states from enacting their own GMO labeling laws, before Vermont's law takes effect in July. Under her plan, according to PoliticoPro, her bill would "sunset" after an unspecified period of time, unless corporations come up with a voluntary, not mandatory, labeling scheme.

How will Sen. Stabenow convince her fellow Senators to pass a law that is opposed by 90 percent of Americans?

By forcing Congress, and the President, to either support the legislation—or risk shutting down the government.

It's blackmail, pure and simple. Brought to you by Monsanto, Big Food and the politicians who represent their interests, not yours.

Sen. Stabenow's GMO labeling "solution" will likely allow corporations to voluntarily slap a QR barcode on their products. Assuming you have a smart phone, experience using QR codes and plenty of time on your hands, you would scan the QR code. This would bring you to a company's slick website where, somewhere in fine print, might appear the words "contains GMOs."

It's an elitist, anti-consumer, anti-democratic, pro-corporate plan.

And by forcing Congress to choose between passing this law, or a government shutdown, it's blackmail.

Congress must pass a budget by December 11. That's how long we have to stop Monsanto and Sen. Stabenow.

Monsanto and Big Food have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to corrupt Congress and deceive the public. We will continue to fight this new blackmail attempt until midnight December 11.

After that? We will mobilize a boycott against every food corporation that refuses to tell us, in plain words, in plain view, if their products contain GMOs.

Thank you.

Ronnie Cummins
National Director, Organic Consumers Association and Organic Consumers Fund

P.S. We have until December 11 to stop this blackmail attempt. Please make a generous donation today. Donations made to the the Organic Consumers Association, a 501(c)(3) are tax-deductible. Thank you!

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