The DARK Act Rises
This week the Senate Committee on Agriculture passed legislation, by a vote of 14-6, which could block every American’s right to know what they are eating. The legislation will now move out of the Committee and to the Senate floor for a full vote.
This legislation, known as the DARK Act (Denying Americans the Right to Know) was drafted with the food and chemical industries and will keep Americans from knowing if our food contains GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) introduced the legislation that would preempt all state GMO labeling laws, and leave consumers with nothing but “voluntary” labeling, so that each food company using GMOs can choose whether or not to disclose that to the public.
But for 15 years companies have been free to label their products that contain GMOs and hardly any have implemented labeling. The DARK Act would actually make it harder for companies like Campbell’s to voluntarily disclose the presence of GMOs.
The House of Representative has already passed legislation blocking your right to know what is in your food. If the Senate does move the DARK Act forward and passes a bill, the House and Senate will have to reconcile both bills before a final bill heads to the President to be signed in to law.
Call 877-796-1949 to speak to your Senators and demand that you have a right to know about GMOs in your food.
The DARK Act would overturn democratically-passed laws to label GMO foods in Vermont and other states, and block the government from ever implementing mandatory nationwide GMO food labeling. Additionally, this version of the DARK Act directs the US Secretary of Agriculture to promote GMOs “through education, outreach, and promotion to address consumer acceptance of agricultural biotechnology.”
Americans want to know what they are eating. In fact, 90% of Americans want foods made with GMOs to be labeled. Americans will hold their elected officials accountable if they vote to strip away transparency about how their food is produced. Americans should have the same right as citizens of 64 other countries to know whether or not our food contains GMOs.
If Big Food gets its way and the DARK Act passes, the fight for GMO labeling is OVER. There will be no second chances.
Call 877-796-1949 to speak to your Senators.
Tell your Senators to oppose Senator Roberts’ bill to establish a national voluntary labeling standard for bioengineered foods.
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