http://www.justlabelit.org/

The DARK Act

In 2014, Vermont became the first state to require mandatory GMO labeling.  Connecticut and Maine have also passed GMO labeling laws that will go into effect once neighboring states pass similar laws and other states are currently looking to pass GMO labeling legislation.

In response to these state efforts, Representatives Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) and G. K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) introduced federal legislation developed by food companies that we in the consumer rights community have dubbed the “Deny Americans the Right-to-Know” Act (DARK Act). This anti-GMO labeling bill passed the House of Representatives in 2015 and Senator Roberts has just introduced similar legislation (S. 2609) which passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee and could be voted on in the Senate any day now.

The Senate version of the “Deny Americans the Right to Know” (DARK) Act would:

• Preempt states from requiring labeling of GMO foods.
• Strip the Food and Drug Administration of its jurisdiction over GMO food disclosures.
• Make it harder for companies like Campbell’s Soup to voluntarily disclose the presence of GMOs.
• Make it the responsibility of USDA to promote biotechnology to consumers.
• Continue the current, broken voluntary labeling system.

Americans want the Right to Know:

• Polls show nearly 90 percent of Americans support on package labeling of GMO food.
• 64 nations require labeling including Russia, China, the EU, and important trading partners in Asia.
• More than 4 million Americans have joined a petition urging FDA to require labeling of GMO food.
• Hundreds of food companies urged President Obama to honor his pledge to require GMO labeling.

Americans want an on package disclosure for GMO foods:

• New polling show that more than 88% of Americans want an on package label vs. a QR code.
• QR codes are not an effective way for consumers to get information.

Dispelling GMO Labeling Myths:

• GMO labeling will not increase food prices. Companies frequently change labels to highlight new innovations or to make new claims.
• Voluntary labeling will not work. Companies have been allowed to make voluntary non-GMO disclosures since 2001, but consumers are more confused than ever.
• There is no “patchwork quilt.” Current state GMO labeling laws are virtually identical, so there will be no “patchwork quilt” of different state laws. The responsible solution to concerns over a possible future patchwork would be the establishment of a uniform, national mandatory labeling standard.
• GMO crops do not feed the world. Conventional and GMO corn and soybean yields have increased at the same rate. What’s more, farmersproduce only 4 percent of rice, wheat, fruits, and vegetables, and most U.S. corn and soybeans are used for animal feed and ethanol, not food.
• GMO crops have increased herbicide applications. Widespread adoption of GMO crops has increased annual applications of glyphosate – a probable human carcinogen – from 16 million pounds to more than 280 million pounds.
• GMO crops have led to more toxic herbicides. As weeds have become resistant to glyphosate, farmers have turned to more toxic weed killers linked to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and reproductive problems.

Take action now! Americans need to tell their members of Congress to stop the DARK Act from becoming law and demand support for mandatory GMO labeling.

DARK Act Materials:

DARK Act Fact Sheet

S 2609 Bill Language

HR 1599 Bill Language

HR 1599 Summary

Letters to Congress on DARK Act legislation:

Ben & Jerry’s

CEOs

UNFI

Consumers Federation of America DARK Act

Food & Water Watch

National Black Farmers Association

Consumers Union

Food Policy Action

Environmental Working Group

Social Justice Leaders

Green Action Groups

National Co+op Grocers

National Farm Family Coalition

New Jersey Business Owners

Massachusetts State Representatives

New York State Representatives

The Nine GE Crops on the Market in the U.S.:

•    Corn
•    Soybeans
•    Canola
•    Cotton
•    Sugar Beets
•    Alfalfa
•    Hawaiian Papaya
•    Zucchini
•    Yellow Crookneck Squash

(FlavrSavrTomatoes were the first genetically modified foods to come on the market, but are no longer cultivated today.)

Three GMO crops account for the vast majority of acres planted to GMOs around the world – corn, soybeans, and cotton. Five countries produce 90% of the world’s genetically modified crops: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India and the United States.

While the animals themselves are not genetically modified, the majority of the livestock Americans consume have been raised on genetically modified grains. This is because the two most prevalent genetically modified crops are corn and soy which are used in many processed foods and most animal feeds.

A genetically modified salmon is pending FDA approval.  The GMO Atlantic salmon being considered was developed by artificially combining growth hormone genes from an eelpout. This modification causes production of growth-hormone year-round, creating a fish that grows at twice the normal rate. If approved, it will be the first genetically modified animal on supermarket shelves in the U.S.