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The USDA has proposed a rule for mandatory labels on genetically engineered foods. And the proposal is a travesty for the farmers who work to produce non-GMO foods and the consumers who want to know what’s in their food.
USDA appears to have set out to mislead and confuse most consumers:
- Instead of using the long-accepted terms genetically engineered, GE, or GMO, the agency is proposing to use terminology that most consumers would not recognize, namely “bioengineered” and its acronym “BE.”
- Companies would be able to use a symbol instead of words or letters – and USDA’s proposed symbol includes a smiley face or a sun in pretty yellow and green colors. That’s not informational labeling, its propaganda!
- While the USDA’s own study showed that many consumers would be unable to read digital QR codes (because of a lack of a smartphone, unreliable internet, or otherwise), the agency is still proposing to allow companies to use digital QR codes in place of readable labels
THE SOLUTION: On-package text using the accepted terms “GE” or “GMO”, or an easily understood neutral symbol.
And, more fundamentally, the USDA’s proposed rule doesn’t even include many foods made from genetically engineered ingredients:
- New forms of genetic engineering such as CRISPR (gene editing) and Synbio (Synthetic Biology) could be excluded. So only foods with the older GMO crops would be labeled, while consumers would be left in the dark about all the new foods coming down the line — such as oranges, cacao, potatoes, soy, and canola – using CRISPR and other gene-manipulating technology.
- The agency has left open whether many processed foods made with GE commodity crops should require labels. Many of these products, such as cooking oils, sodas, and candies, are so highly refined that current DNA tests may or may not “show” the GE content in the final product, despite the original ingredient indisputably being GE. If left out, hundreds of GE foods will not have to be disclosed.
THE SOLUTION: Any food made with ingredients that were genetically engineered by any method should be labeled as such.
TAKE ACTION
If you sign an online petition, USDA will count all of those signatures as a single comment. To really make your voice heard, you need to submit your comment directly to the USDA.
In addition, personal comments that explain your reasons have a greater impact. It’s more effective to comment on just one or two of the issues, and include your reasons, than to simply list all the problems we discuss above.
Deadline: Tuesday, July 3, 2018, at 11:59 pm.
Before you go to the Regulations.gov website, write your comment down in Word or another file – that way, if there is an internet glitch, you don’t lose it.
Sample comment:
I am a [farmer, small food business, consumer, parent …. ]. I urge USDA to provide clear, on-package labeling of foods that contain ingredients made from genetically engineered crops, regardless of the specific type of technology used.
Use the discussion above to help you choose which issue(s) you want to comment on. Your comment can be as short or as long as you like – what matters most is providing your individual thoughts and reasons.
To submit a comment online:
1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=AMS-TM-17-0050-0004
2. Copy and paste your comment in the top box, or attach the file
3. Fill out your personal information and then click the “continue” button at the bottom.
4. It will go to a page that shows you what your comment will look like on the site. It also allows you to edit the comment if you want to.
5. At the bottom, there will be a statement that you have to confirm: “You are filing a document into an official docket. Any personal information included in your comment and/or uploaded attachment(s) may be publicly viewable on the web. I read and understand the statement above.”
6. Click the box, then click “submit comment” under it. The site will give you a receipt with your comment number on it.
You can also send your comment in by fax: (202) 690-0338
Faxed comments should include the following reference:
Date Posted: May 4, 2018
Federal Register Number: 2018-09389
Docket ID: AMS-TM-17-0050Agency: Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)Parent Agency: Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Thank you for taking action!
See all the USDA proposed BE logos: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/ProposedBioengineeredLabels.pdf
This comes to us from one of our local members:
What I want:
On-package text using the accepted terms “GE” or “GMO”, or an easily understood neutral symbol.
The USDA rule doesn’t even include many foods made from genetically engineered ingredients:
New forms of genetic engineering such as CRISPR (gene editing) and Synbio (Synthetic Biology) could be excluded. But consumers aren’t looking for information on what technique was used – they just want to know whether it was made with genetic engineering or not. And foods such as oranges, cacao, potatoes, soy, and canola are in development to be “bioengineered” using CRISPR technology.
The agency has left open whether many processed foods made with GE commodity crops should require labels. Many of these products, such as cooking oils, sodas, and candies, are so highly refined that current DNA tests may or may not “show” the GE content in the final product, despite the original ingredient indisputably being GE. If left out, it’s possible that hundreds of GE foods will not be disclosed.
The proposed rule could allow for either 0.9%, 5% or 10% GMO contamination by weight before labeling would be required. But many of these companies are already complying with the internationally accepted standard of 0.9% — so why should U.S. consumers get less information?
What I want: Any food made with ingredients that were genetically engineered by any method should be labeled as such.
The USDA’s own study showed that many consumers would be unable to read digital QR codes (because of a lack of a smartphone, unreliable internet, or otherwise), the agency is still proposing to allow companies to use digital QR codes in place of readable labels. This is wrong for consumers.
Use the long-accepted terms genetically engineered, GE, or GMO, not the agency proposed terminology that most consumers would not recognize, namely “bioengineered” and its acronym “BE. Putting a cute colorful smiley faced “BE” symbol will confuse consumers, which is exactly what the industry wants you to do. Don’t do it.
You don’t use cute smiley faced symbols for any other labeling of food, so don’t do it for GMO’s.
Have you made your voice heard on the proposed GMO labeling? To comment, go to:
This comes to us from the Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance.
Greetings!
The USDA has released its long-awaited proposed regulations for the mandatory labeling of foods produced using genetic engineering (GE), most commonly referred to as GMOs, for genetically modified organisms.
The regulations are being proposed under what many advocacy organizations termed the “DARK Act,” because it overturned state laws on GMO labeling in favor of a federal standard riddled with flaws. Unfortunately, USDA’s proposal on how to implement the Act is just as bad as we predicted, and in some ways goes even further than the statute in keeping consumers in the dark.
USDA is accepting public comments until July 3. Below is information about the main problems with the rule, followed by details on how you can add your voice.
The proposed label options will mislead and confuse most consumers:
- While the USDA’s own study showed that many consumers would be unable to read digital QR codes (because of a lack of a smartphone, unreliable internet, or otherwise), the agency is still proposing to allow companies to use digital QR codes in place of readable labels
What we want: On-package text using the accepted terms “GE” or “GMO”, or an easily understood neutral symbol.
The USDA rule doesn’t even include many foods made from genetically engineered ingredients:
- New forms of genetic engineering such as CRISPR (gene editing) and Synbio (Synthetic Biology) could be excluded. But consumers aren’t looking for information on what technique was used – they just want to know whether it was made with genetic engineering or not. And foods such as oranges, cacao, potatoes, soy, and canola are in development to be “bioengineered” using CRISPR technology.
- The agency has left open whether many processed foods made with GE commodity crops should require labels. Many of these products, such as cooking oils, sodas, and candies, are so highly refined that current DNA tests may or may not “show” the GE content in the final product, despite the original ingredient indisputably being GE. If left out, it’s possible that hundreds of GE foods will not be disclosed.
- The proposed rule could allow for either 0.9%, 5% or 10% GMO contamination by weight before labeling would be required. But many of these companies are already complying with the internationally accepted standard of 0.9% — so why should U.S. consumers get less information?
What we want: Any food made with ingredients that were genetically engineered by any method should be labeled as such.
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Take Action
If you sign an online petition, USDA will count all of those signatures as a single comment. To really make your voice heard, you need to submit your comment directly to the USDA.
Personal comments that explain your reasons have a greater impact. It’s more effective to comment on just one or two of the issues and include your reasons, rather than to list all the problems we discuss above with no explanation.
Deadline: July 3, 2018, at 11:59 pm.
Before you go to the Regulations.gov website, write your comment down in Word or another file – that way, if there is an internet glitch, you don’t lose it.
Online:
- Go to https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=AMS-TM-17-0050-0004
- Copy and paste your comment in the top box, or attach the file
- Fill out the requested information and then click the “continue” button at the bottom.
- It will go to a page that shows you what your comment will look like on the site. It also allows you to edit the comment if you want to.
- At the bottom of the page, you’ll see the following statement: “You are filing a document into an official docket. Any personal information included in your comment and/or uploaded attachment(s) may be publicly viewable on the web. I read and understand the statement above.”
- Click the box, then click “submit comment” under it. The site will give you a receipt with your comment number on it.
And you’re done!
You can also send your comment in by fax or mail:
Mail: Docket Clerk, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Room 4543- South, Washington, DC 20250
Fax: (202) 690-0338
Faxed or mailed comments should include the following reference:
Date Posted: May 4, 2018
Federal Register Number: 2018-09389
Docket ID: AMS-TM-17-0050
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Take Action #2 – For Small Businesses
Are you a farmer or small food business that will be directly impacted by the new rule? The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is a voice for small businesses and submits its own comments to agencies on proposed rules.
The SBA will be hosting a teleconference to discuss the USDA’s proposed rule at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, 2018, and will be taking public comments to help them understand how small businesses may be affected. Please RSVP to Prianka.Sharma@sba.gov.
If you’re interested in presenting oral comments during the teleconference, you should indicate this in your RSVP. Each participant will be granted three minutes to speak. There will also be an opportunity for small businesses to provide written comments to SBA.
This teleconference is for small businesses only. If your concerns are related to your role as a consumer (i.e. you do not have a business that is directly impacted by the GMO labeling rule), you can best help by sending your comments to USDA, as outlined above.
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Support Our Work
Whether you are a farmer, producer, or consumer, it takes more than growing and buying local.
We need to change the rules that favor Big Agribusiness and Big Food over small-scale, local producers. FARFA works to change the laws at the local, state and federal levels to support our local food system!
Please consider joining or making a donation to FARFA to support our work to help independent family farmers and protect a healthy and productive food supply for consumers.
Our work depends entirely on the financial support of grassroots supporters like you: farmers, ranchers, small-business owners, home food producers, and local food advocates. Help us continue to make sure that the voice of independent agriculture is heard loud and clear!
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Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance
www.FarmAndRanchFreedom.org
FARFA is a national organization that supports independent family farmers and protects a healthy and productive food supply for American consumers. FARFA promotes common sense policies for local, diversified agricultural systems.
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This comes to us from the Weston A. Price Foundation. We are including it here as a service to our readers who are not members in the Foundation.
ACT NOW: Tell President Obama to veto the DARK Act
As you may have heard, the Senate voted last week to approve the Roberts-Stabenow version of the DARK Act. The next step is that it goes back to the House (since it’s different from the version the House approved last summer) and then on to President Obama.
This bill would be more accurately termed an UNlabeling bill. It has huge loopholes, no enforcement mechanisms, and a two-year delay before anything happens – except that it immediately overrides state laws that are already in place.
This is not a “compromise” on labeling – it is effectively a ban on GMO labeling, in disguise.
We expect the House to vote this week. Given that the earlier version of the DARK Act passed by a large margin, and that the House sponsor has said he’ll support the Senate version, it will almost certainly pass the House.
The bill could be on the President’s desk before the end of this week.
A presidential veto is our last chance to stop the DARK Act. Please take action today!
Note: if you look up S. 764, the bill number, you’ll see that it was originally about defunding Planned Parenthood. But all of the original text has been removed, and replaced by an amendment inserting the DARK Act provisions. This bill has nothing to do with Planned Parenthood anymore. The text, as passed by the Senate, is available at https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/764/text
TAKE ACTION: Contact President Obama
You can contact President Obama in three ways: phone call, email, or signing an online petition on the White House’s website. Remember that phone calls are the most effective, and take just a couple of minutes!
CALL the White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111 (open 9-5 EST)
EMAIL: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
MESSAGE:
I urge President Obama to veto S. 764, the DARK Act, which pre-empts state laws on labeling.
This bill is riddled with loopholes. Worst yet, by allowing companies to use QR codes instead of words on the package, it creates barriers for every person who wants to find out information about what they’re eating – and it discriminates against low income families, minorities, and seniors, all of whom are unlikely to have smartphones and/or the comfort level to use them to scan QR codes.
Less than half of all low income Americans can afford a smartphone. And only 21% of Americans surveyed have scanned QR codes. But everyone has to eat, and all Americans should know what they’re buying.
President Obama, stand by your campaign promise that people deserve the right to know what’s in their food, and veto this terrible bill.
ONLINE PETITION: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov//petition/veto-dark-act-s764
After you enter your name & email address, you will get a confirmation email. You must click on that link, or your signature won’t be added.
We hope you will support the Weston A. Price Foundation in its efforts to restore nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. westonaprice.org
There is also a good article about it here: https://www.organicconsumers.org/blog/no-good-reason
No Good Reason
Today, Congress rammed through a bill that is anti-consumer and anti-states’ rights.
And President Obama is expected to sign it very soon.
Please help us flood the White House with calls today (202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414) asking Obama to veto S. 764. If you’re in the D.C. area, please join our rally at the White House, Friday, July 15, at 1 p.m. in Lafayette Park.
It’s also not too late to sign these two petitions asking Obama to veto the DARK Act. Please sign here and here. We will deliver the petitions tomorrow, Friday July 15.
Read More >>>
Our House Rep and Senators in Oregon all voted against it! Yeah! Thank you to everyone who called them.
This comes to us from The Weston A. Price Foundation. This was sent out to WAPF members, and I am including it here as a service to our local participants who are not active members of WAPF.
The closer we look at the Roberts-Stabenow bill on GMO labeling, the worse it gets. It’s so bad that even the FDA – which asserts that GMOs are “substantially equivalent” to conventional foods — has criticized it! The bill’s biggest flaws:
- No on-package label required – the companies can put a QR code, phone number, or website, which provides no real information for someone shopping for food.
- No federal enforcement penalties. If the companies fail to comply with even this minimal requirement, there’s no mechanism for the federal government to enforce the law.
- Massive loopholes in definition of genetically engineered and what will have to be labeled.
- And it pre-empts all state laws that would require on-package labeling.
This is not a “compromise” on labeling – it is effectively a ban on GMO labeling, in disguise.
Vermont’s law went into effect last Friday, July 1. Most food manufacturers came into compliance well in advance. And check it out – there’s still food on the grocery store shelves, the prices haven’t risen, and no companies have gone out of business. While Monsanto and its allies claimed the sky would fall, it simply hasn’t.
There is no excuse for the federal government to step in and override the will of the people and states’ authority to require labeling.
The Senate is expected to vote this week, and the outlook is NOT good. Some corporate agribusinesses who control the Organic Trade Association endorsed the bill, giving many Senators the excuse to say that “the organic industry is fine with this.”
It is vital that your Senators hear from you, their constituents. Tell them in clear terms that you don’t care what companies have endorsed the bill – the voters don’t like it!
Take Action
Call your Senators at 888-897-0174 to tell them what you think of their votes! Calls are the fastest, and most effective way to get your message through to Congress. (This number will give you a quick briefing on the issue, and then connect you to your Senators.)
If you prefer email, you can find contact information for your Senators at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Here’s a sample script for a call:
I live in [STATE], and I urge you to reject the Roberts-Stabenow so-called compromise on GMO labeling. This bill isn’t a compromise where both sides got something – it simply gives Monsanto and Big Ag everything they wanted, at the expense of citizens like me.
QR codes, 1-800 numbers, or a website address is not labeling. None of these provide information in a reasonable manner for consumers. There won’t even be any penalties for failing to comply, and the definition of genetic engineering is so narrow that it is already obsolete. This isn’t mandatory labeling, it’s a mirage.
Labeling GMO foods clearly, on the package, is already happening – in 60 other countries as well as Vermont. Congress should side with the people, not the corporations.
I urge you to vote NO on the Roberts-Stabenow bill.
A phone call is more effective than an email. If you do send an email, please include a couple of sentences at the beginning with your own personalized message — personal messages have more impact than form emails.
We hope you will support the Weston A. Price Foundation in its efforts to restore nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. westonaprice.org
The DARK Act would prohibit state labeling of GMOs. Please take a moment to call our senators. Oregon Senators are:
Merkley, Jeff – (D – OR) Class II
313 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3753
Contact: www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/
Wyden, Ron – (D – OR) Class III
221 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5244
Contact: www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/
This comes to us from The Weston A. Price Foundation. I am passing it on here to those of you who are not already members in WAPF.
DARK Act filed in the Senate – call now!
Senator Roberts (R-KS) just filed Monsanto’s dream bill, also known as the DARK Act, to prohibit state labeling of genetically engineered (GMO) foods.
Ask your Senators to oppose this bill and any attempt to prohibit labeling of GMO foods!
Even if you’ve already taken action, it’s really important that your Senators hear from you again now that the bill has been introduced.
Senator Roberts is the Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and he’s already scheduled his bill to get a hearing in the committee this Thursday.
Time is of the essence. The same bill already passed through the House in July, so we must stop it in the Senate. Your Senators need to hear from you now: To protect your right to know what is in your food, tell your Senators to oppose the bill, or any “compromises” that don’t result in mandatory, on-package labeling of GMOs.
There’s a reason why we call the bill that passed the House last summer the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act (DARK Act). This bill would prohibit any state from labeling GMOs and make federal labeling voluntary – which, to be clear, it already is, and not a single product is labeled as containing genetically engineered ingredients.
Tell your Senators that voluntary labels don’t work, and they must reject the DARK Act.
Take Action
Call or email both of your U.S. Senators to urge them to oppose Senator Robert’s bill or any bill that blocks mandatory, on-package labeling of GMOs.
You can look up who your Senators are and find their contact information:
Here’s a sample script for a call:
Hi, my name is ___, and I am a constituent. I urge Senator _____ to vote against Senator Roberts’ bill that would prevent states from requiring labels on genetically engineered foods.
We have a right to know what is in our food so that we can make educated decisions about the food we eat. The free market can only work when consumers have the information they need to make informed choices among different products. The simplest, clearest way to provide information to consumers is with a physical label (not bar codes or other confusing options).
Without mandatory on-package labeling, consumers are effectively being defrauded.
I urge Senator ___ to vote against any bill that would block state laws for mandatory physical labels on GMO foods.
A phone call is more effective than an email. If you do send an email, please replace the opening few lines with your own personalized message – personal messages have more impact than form emails.
You can also download a fact sheet on the House version of the bill at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/hr-1599-fact-sheet to send as an attachment to your email, or as a follow up to your call.
This is not a Weston A. Price Foundation email, but we share it as a service to our members. It comes to us from the Organic Consumers Association:
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OREGON: Volunteer for the Measure 92 Recount!
Dear Lisa,
 As of last night (Nov 20, 2014), we’re just 1,484 votes short of closing the gap on Measure 92 to label genetically modified foods in Oregon. Based on reliable estimates, there are enough outstanding votes that, if they go the right way, could push us over the top.
While we wait for the final tally, the YES on 92 campaign staff is busy working to prepare for the recount.
Sign up here to volunteer! Volunteer observers and lawyers are needed to ensure the recount is conducted fairly. All volunteers must be registered Oregon voters.
Under Oregon state law, if the finally tally remains within 3,000 votes, a recount will automatically take place. The Yes on 92 campaign will do everything in its power to make sure that the recount is conducted carefully, and fairly.
And they will need your help.
Sign up today to be a volunteer recount observer or lawyer!
– Melinda and Katherine for the OCA team
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| The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization campaigning for health, justice, peace, sustainability and democracy. Donations to the OCA are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. |
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Here is some news you may be interested in! Jeffery Smith is making a tour around Oregon!
Eugene Event With Jeffrey Smith
When: Monday, September 15, 2014, 6:00 – 9:00pm in Eugene, Oregon
Location:
First Christian Church, 1166 Oak Street, Eugene, OR
More Info:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/364147923741558/
Jeffery Smith is the author of Genetic Roulette and Seeds of Deception, and has spoken several times at Wise Traditions Conferences.
Jeffrey Smith Oregon GMO Education Tour
Portland, Eugene, Bend, Medford, and Ashland with GMO Free Oregon
It’s In Your Food!
What you can do to get GMOs labeled in Oregon!
Invite a friend who does not know about GMOs!
Portland Event With Jeffrey Smith
When: Sunday, September 14, 2014, 5:00 – 8:00pm in Portland, Oregon
Location:
First Unitarian Church, 1034 SW 13th Avenue, Portland, OR
More Info:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/813423682022059/
Eugene Event With Jeffrey Smith
When: Monday, September 15, 2014, 6:00 – 9:00pm in Eugene, Oregon
Location:
First Christian Church, 1166 Oak Street, Eugene, OR
More Info:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/364147923741558/
Bend Event With Jeffrey Smith
When: Tuesday, September 16, 2014, 7:00 – 9:00pm in Bend, Oregon
Location:
First Presbyterian Church, 230 NE 9th, Bend, OR
More Info:
www.GMO-CentralOregon.org
Ashland Event With Jeffrey Smith – MUST RSVP – LIMITED SEATING
When: Wednesday, September 17, 7:00 – 9:30pm Activist Strategy Session and nonGMO Appetizer and Dessert Potluck
Location:
Bellview Grange, 1050 Tolman Creek, Ashland, Oregon 97520
More Info:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gmo-labeling-strategy-session-with-jeffrey-smith-tickets-13039777325
These events are an educational benefit for the Oregon Right to Know – Yes on 92 Campaign.
FREE! All Welcome! Suggested donation $5 – $25 to raise funds for Yes on 92 – GMO Labeling. Help us match our goal of raising $2500 to be matched by SoDelicious to raise a total of $5,000! No one turned away for lack of funds.
To volunteer or get involved in these events contact: Ariane
arigmofree@gmail.com
Sponsor the events: www.responsibletechnology.org/yes92
More info on the GMO Labeling Initiative:
www.oregonrighttoknow.org
www.gmofreeoregon.org
Safe eating begins with INFORMED eating!
-The small but mighty IRT team!
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