The Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled Tuesday to tackle the thorny issue of GMO labeling.
The committee will discuss a bill introduced by chairman Pat Roberts that would pre-empt state laws requiring mandatory labeling of food made with genetically modified ingredients. The bill instructs USDA to establish a set of standards within two years for voluntary labeling of foods that do contain or may contain GMOs. The bill also directs USDA to conduct an outreach and education campaign on the safety of bioengineered food.
Roberts has reportedly been working to find a compromise on the issue, but it’s unclear how successful he has been. Committee member Pat Leahy, whose home state of Vermont will implement mandatory GMO labeling in July, is a leading opponent of the bill.
The American Soybean Association supports Roberts’ bill. ASA president Richard Wilkins says it would “protect farmers’ ability to use what science has repeatedly proven to be a safe and sustainable technology." Wilkins goes on to say, “We can’t stand by while a small subset of activists willfully misinterprets and misrepresents bioengineering to advance their agenda."
Source: www.brownfieldagnews.com