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Work continues to find labeling compromise

Leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee say they are still working to find a compromise on GMO labeling. But committee ranking member Debbie Stabenow admits it’s one of the toughest issues she’s had to deal with.

“This is tough. We’re working continually on this, trying to thread the needle, and I’m hopeful we can do that,” says Stabenow. “I think we’re going to have to, because it is not sustainable to have 50 different states and 50 different rules.”

Stabenow says finding the right balance has been very difficult.

“We are trying to find a path that would both respect peoples’ right to know and the information they want, but do it in a way that does not reflect negatively on biotechnology or production agriculture,” she says.

Ag Committee chair Pat Roberts says he’s waiting to see what Stabenow brings forward as a compromise. Roberts calls GMO labeling “a giant wrecking ball coming through the food industry”.

“We have already seen the advent of reformulation, which is a pretty fancy word to say, ‘we ain’t going to buy what you’re selling’ with regards to sugar beet producers and canola, etcetera—primarily corn and soybeans,” Roberts says “It’s real problem and it could morph into many different things.”

Stabenow and Roberts commented Wednesday during meetings with farm broadcasters in Washington, D.C.

AUDIO: Comments from Debbie Stabenow

AUDIO: Comments from Pat Roberts