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Grassley weighs in on GMO labeling

grassley-chuckThe Senate Ag Committee meets Thursday to consider Kansas Senator Pat Roberts’ GMO labeling bill that would create a voluntary biotech food labeling system and preempt state labeling laws.  That includes the one in Vermont set to take effect July 1st.

Iowa Senator and Ag Committee member Chuck Grassley says he supports Roberts’ bill.

“Now let’s just think if Congress doesn’t act,” Grassley says. “Then food companies will be required to start switching labels for food shipped to distributors for retail sale on July 1st, when the Vermont law goes into effect.”

Grassley says Vermont’s law and others like it are intended to disparage biotechnology.

“The patchwork of laws discouraging innovative technology and investments won’t help the United States feed and fuel a growing world population,” he says.

Grassley expects all of the Republicans on the committee to support the bill, but says he isn’t sure where the Democrats stand. He says ranking member Debbie Stabenow of Michigan holds the key.

“I think a lot of Democrats on the committee are looking to her for their point-of-view,” he says. “But it’s going to be difficult to get this bill through the United States Senate if it isn’t bipartisan.”

Most agricultural organizations support Robert’s bill. The National Council of Farm Cooperatives says mandatory labeling would force co-ops and farmers to alter their production methods and segregate their supply chains.

The National Farmers Union says it opposes Roberts’ bill in its current form.  NFU says it supports mandatory GMO labeling because it believes consumers should have access “to as much pertinent information as they want to know about their food”.

AUDIO: Excerpt from Sen. Grassley’s conference call with ag reporters on 2/23/16

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