Farmer spraying his crops. (photo: AP)
I felt this article was important to share.More proof that lobbying really does work, and if they have their way we'll not only eat "Frankenstein" foods, but we'll not be free to demand that they be labeled so we at least know what we're putting on the plate.(Thanks to Janie Rezner for this article).
A Farm Bill Only Monsanto Could Love
05 October 12Three provisions in the bill would make it more difficult to regulate the safety of genetically modified crops. Consumers fight back with a flurry of organizing.idden among the cluttered news cycle of this election season is a crucial debate about genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
September 30 marked the expiration of the 2007 Farm
Bill, and the 2012 replacement is now sitting in the House of
Representatives. It is unlikely that Congress will vote on the bill
until after the elections, so food-safety advocates are ramping up their
outreach efforts around this issue in advance of any decision.
What's the big deal with the new bill? Most
importantly, the House version of the 2012 Farm Bill contains three
industry-friendly provisions, numbered 10011, 10013, and 10014.
Collectively, they have come to be known as the "Monsanto Rider," and
the name is entirely appropriate. If passed, this bill would make it
more difficult to stem the tide of GMO foods hitting store shelves.
These three provisions in the 2012 Farm Bill would
grant regulatory powers solely to the United States Department of
Agriculture, preventing other federal agencies from reviewing GMO
applications and preventing the USDA from accepting outside money for
further study. The bill would also shorten the deadline for approval to
one year, with an optional 180-day extension.
And here's the kicker: the approval time bomb. If the
USDA misses the truncated review deadline, the GMO in question is
granted automatic approval.
Though the average time for approval of GMO
applications is now three years, the USDA has never denied a single one.
Environmental activists currently have the ability to delay
introduction of an iffy crop by keeping approval held up for months at a
time pending further review. If the 2012 Farm Bill is approved with the
Monsanto Rider, this tool is removed from the arsenal.
Food-safety advocates like the Organic Consumer Association point to polling
that shows nine out of ten American consumers want GMO labeling, and to
the strength of the organizing in favor of GMO labeling through
California's Proposition 37 ballot initiative. The Organic Consumers Association and allied organizations like the Center for Food Safety
are calling upon their membership base to let their elected officials
know where they stand on this issue, through phone calls, letter
writing, and protest.
"People understand that the GMO foods entering our
food supply have not been safety tested," said Alexis Baden-Mayer,
Political Director at the Organic Consumers Association. "There isn't
enough science backing them, and people want to know when food is
genetically engineered. That opinion is very strong, and hopefully
members of congress will be paying attention to the widespread
opposition, and they'll connect with voters. Hopefully, they'll
understand that [voters] matter more than the campaign donors."
3 comments:
Nothing to do with Monsanto. But have you seen this landscape sculpture...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2214616/The-Belly-South-Bumpy-reception-seaside-town-Hirsts-disgusting-65ft-pregnant-woman.html
Wow, thank you! I may post this article, what an amazing work of art, and controversy its creating as well.
Monsanto. They're in the same league as Halliburton. Just a different game. Revolting.
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