California: Bill to label GE-food

Answering the call for greater transparency and choices in the food system, California State Senator Noreen Evans has introduced a new bill to label GE-foods sold in California, the Cornucopia Institute reports. 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. It is expected to face opposition from pesticide corporations and industrial food manufacturers.

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. Whole Foods and Chipotle have also stepped up in the wake of Proposition 37, committing to label GE foods sold in their stores. The full article is available here.