MA Farm, Science, Business Leaders Express Opposition to Food Labeling Bill

Jan 07, 2016

A coalition of Massachusetts and national groups today expressed opposition to a forced labeling bill that will require food producers and sellers to label goods with any ingredient grown from genetically  modified seeds.
 
The bill, H.3242, has a hearing at the State House on Tuesday.
 
The coalition believes any GMO food labeling standard should be created at the federal level, and supports the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (H.R. 1599), already passed by the House of Representatives in Congress.
 
“This bill will hurt everyone involved in bringing foods from the farm to the table. For farmers, manufacturers, distributers, and grocers, this bill will place a costly burden on those involved in the food chain top to bottom,” said Dave Shepard, President of the MA Association of Dairy Farmers and Elm View Farm. “Farming with genetically engineered seed is environmentally responsible and allows farmers to have greater crop yields while using less water, herbicide and pesticide.”
 
Leading American scientific bodies including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Medical  Association, have found genetically engineered crops to be as nutritious and safe as crops produced using conventional seed.
 
Across the country, from California and Oregon to New Hampshire, voters and lawmakers have said “no” to food labeling efforts. In other states including New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania,  legislators have decided not to move forward on similar labeling bills.
 
Coalition members that support a federal solution and oppose the costly, mandatory labeling of foods  proposed by the Massachusetts bill include:
 
    Massachusetts Food Association
    Retailers Association of Massachusetts
    Massachusetts Biotechnology Council
    Associated Industries of Massachusetts
    Massachusetts Association of Dairy Farmers
    Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance
    Grocery Manufacturers Association of America
    Biotechnology Industry Organization
 
For more information on the expense of unnecessary labeling and the environmental and nutritional benefits of GE products, visit MaFarmtoFood.org and @MAFarmtoFood.

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