President signs discriminatory DARK Act
Labeling bill denies Americans their right to know if they are eating GMOs
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Friday, July 29, President Obama signed into legislation a “compromise” GMO labeling bill offered by Senators Roberts and Stabenow, dubbed the Deny Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act. The bill will preempt state laws requiring clear, on-package labeling of food with GMOs; will likely exempt many current and future GMOs from labeling; has no clear enforcement mechanism; and will use a system reliant on QR codes and toll-free numbers to disclose genetically engineered ingredients.
Friends of the Earth Food and Technology Program Director Lisa Archer offered the following statement in response:
By signing this sham of a bill, President Obama betrayed his 2007 campaign promise to label GMOs. Instead, he prioritized big food and chemical companies’ desire to keep Americans in the dark about what we feed our families. This discriminatory bill denies one third of Americans their right to know — primarily people of color and low-income, rural and elderly populations who lack adequate access to smart phones. Worse, this poorly written bill will likely exempt many existing and future GMOs from labeling.
We thank the members of the House and Senate that stood up for their constituents amid a torrent of pressure from junk food and chemical company lobbyists and voted no on this industry dream bill. Friends of the Earth and the growing good food movement will continue to fight for the transparent, sustainable and just food system that the vast majority of Americans demand and everyone deserves.
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Expert contact: Dana Perls, (925) 705-1074, [email protected],
Communications contact: Kate Colwell, (202) 222-0744, [email protected]