GMO

NFU Opposes Roberts’ GMO labeling bill – for now

February 25, 2016 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, (R-KS), the Senate Ag Committee chairman, has introduced a bill that would set up a nationwide system for the labeling of food with genetically modified organisms – or GMOs.

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued a statement acknowledging NFU represents farmers on both sides of the GMO issue and said the family organization will not support the bill “in its current form.”

From Johnson:

“National Farmers Union (NFU) represents 200,000 family farmers and ranchers across the nation who employ a wide variety of practices and philosophies. Many of our members have chosen to incorporate genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into their production methods, while others have made different choices. The rights of GMO and non-GMO producers should be respected as equal while public concerns about GMOs are evaluated by federal agencies.

“NFU also values consumer rights, including the ability of consumers to have access to as much pertinent information as they want to know about their food. We support mandatory labeling of foods derived from genetically engineered plants, although we do not have policy on what such labeling should look like. As such, NFU opposes the proposed GMO labeling bill in its current form.”

NFU Reiterates Stance on Mandatory GMO Labeling

July 22, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

In light of the U.S. House of Representatives’ consideration of the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (H.R. 1599), National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson again highlighted NFU policy on Genetically Modified Organism labeling.

The policy supports conspicuous, mandatory, uniform and federal labeling for food products throughout the processing chain to include all ingredients, additives and processes, including genetically altered or engineered food products.

“NFU appreciates efforts by Representatives Pompeo, R-Kansas, and Davis, R-Illinois, to reduce consumer confusion and standardize a GMO label,” said Johnson. “The bill passed out of committee makes significant improvements over previous versions of this bill. Absent a mandatory labeling framework, however, NFU cannot support this bill.”

Johnson noted that the bill has changed several times from the one introduced during the last Congress. Improvements include additional authority for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a labeling framework that if utilized could reduce consumer confusion, greater emphasis on the Food and Drug Administration’s role in safety reviews, and a GMO label that works in conjunction with USDA’s organic seal instead of counter to it.

“Consumers increasingly want to know more information about their food, and producers want to share that information with them,” said Johnson. “It is time to find common ground that includes some form of mandatory disclosure for the benefit of all aspects of the value chain, but this bill is not that common ground.”

National Farmers Union: Mandatory GMO Labeling Must Be Part of New Legislation

April 3, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union delegates recently reiterated their support for the mandatory federal labeling of food products containing GMO traits at its annual convention. As such, NFU opposes the voluntary standard set out in Congressman Pompeo’s, R-Kan., Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 (H.R. 1599).

“Consumers increasingly want to know more information about their food, not less,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “NFU policy supports mandatory labeling for food products throughout the processing chain, seeking to reduce consumer confusion and allowing producers to differentiate their products.”

Johnson noted that the bill has changed from the one introduced last Congress. “NFU appreciates Congressman Pompeo’s efforts to reduce consumer confusion and standardize a GMO label, but cannot support a bill that lacks mandatory labeling. We now call on Congress to bridge the numerous proposals that are currently pending for the benefit of producers and consumers.” said Johnson.

NATIONAL FARMERS UNION

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