GEO Watch | California legislature to consider labeling law

Moderator’s Note: During the 2012 election voters in California
narrowly defeated Proposition 37, a citizen-initiated referendum to require the
labeling of foods made from or with ingredients containing genetically-engineered
organisms (GEO or GMO). The biotechnology corporations and their allies in the
retail grocery chain business poured record-breaking millions into defeating
the proposal with a battering ram of misinformation and lies. Many of us felt
the labeling law in Prop. 37 was poorly written and confusing for too many
voters. Now, the California state legislature is considering its own version of
a labeling law for GMOs. We are posting yesterday’s press release from the group,
Californians for GE Food Labeling.

To
track the progress of the legislation, SB 1381, please use this link: California State
Legislature – SB 1381, and enter the bill number in the search box.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 21, 2014

CONTACTS:

Paul Towers, 916-216-1082

Stacy Malkan, 510-848-5701

California
takes up bill to label genetically engineered foods

NEW BILL PROVIDES GREATER CLARITY THAN PROPOSITION 37,
GIVING CALIFORNIANS THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT’S IN THEIR FOOD AND HOW IT’S GROWN

Sacramento,
Calif – Answering the call for greater transparency and choices in the food
system, California State Senator Noreen Evans (D – Santa Rosa) introduced a new
bill today to label genetically engineered (GE, genetically modified, or GMO)
foods sold in California. The bill is sponsored by a broad-based coalition of
16 environmental, consumer, food groups and small businesses called
Californians for GE Food Labeling representing over a half million
Californians. The bill is expected to face opposition from pesticide
corporations and industrial food manufacturers.

“Californians
agree — we want the choice about the food we put on our dinner tables. We want
a choice about the legacy we leave the Golden State’s children,” said Debbie
Friedman, a co-chair of Moms Advocating Sustainability, one of the coalition
groups. “Labeling genetically engineered foods gives us the opportunity to make
informed decisions about our food, from farm to fork.”

Polls
consistently show that over 90% of Americans and a high majority of
Californians want meaningful labels that clearly identify GE foods. Since
Proposition 37 — a 2012 measure that would have labeled GE foods — was narrowly
defeated in California, dozens of other states have introduced similar
initiatives and bills in state legislatures. Two states, Connecticut and Maine,
have already passed GMO labeling bills. In Vermont, a GMO labeling bill just
passed through the state’s Agricultural Committee, and voters in Oregon will
likely vote on a similar initiative this fall.

Business
leaders such as Whole Foods and Chipotle have also stepped up in the wake of
Proposition 37, committing to label GE foods sold in their stores.

“This
is an inevitable wave of change,” said Grant Lundberg, a third generation rice
farmer, CEO of Lundberg Family Farms and former co-chair of the Proposition 37
initiative campaign. “The effort has come full circle to California. The new
straightforward bill is an even simpler, clearer version of Proposition 37. It
would simply require food sold in California grocery stores to be labeled if it
contains genetically engineered ingredients.”

The
bill introduced by Senator Evans earlier today — SB 1381 — will be referred to
committee in the coming weeks. It is likely to face opposition from a set of
powerful interest groups, including biotech and pesticide giant Monsanto, that
attempted to confuse voters with a sophisticated $47 million public relations
campaign in 2012.

“Labeling
food is a clear and affordable way to give Californians choice,” said Mark
Squire, owner and manager of the grocery store Good Earth Natural Foods. “Food
manufacturers regularly update their labels, including nutrition information,
and this is one more simple update they can make.”

Despite
widespread public support for labeling, the federal government has failed to
enact labeling. Meanwhile, over 60 nations across the globe already label GE
foods, setting the United States and California — the world’s 12th largest
economy — apart. Proponents are calling on California’s legislators to provide
leadership on labeling and informed choices for the families of our state.

“Pesticide
and junk food corporations are already taking the effort to Washington, DC,
trying to make it illegal for states like California to pass their own labeling
laws,” said Kristin Urquiza, co-coordinator of Californians for GE Food
Labeling. “California leaders have an opportunity to cut through the
misinformation and give shoppers the right to choose what kind of food and food
system they want.”

Due
to the intensity of the public relations campaign against Proposition 37 and GE
labeling initiatives in other states, proponents of the new bill are removing
any room for confusion. The new bill further clarifies the proposed law,
explicitly protects farmers and places limits on potential litigation.

This
isn’t the first time California legislators have taken steps to protect the
state’s agricultural and food interests. They passed AB541 (Huffman) in 2008,
to provide safeguards for farmers whose crops are contaminated by genetically
engineered material.

Californians
for GE Food Labeling is a coalition of organizations, businesses, and networks,
including Biosafety Alliance, Californians for Pesticide Reform, California
State Grange, CALPIRG, Center for Food Safety, Consumers Union, Environmental
Working Group, Food Democracy Now!, Food and Water Watch, Friends of the Earth
- US, Good Earth Natural Foods, LabelGMOs.org, Moms Advocating Sustainability,
Organic Consumers Association, Pesticide Action Network North America and
Pesticide Watch, dedicated to giving California families informed choices about
their food.