The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act has passed the U.S. House on a 275-150 vote, another step to ensuring that farmers will be able to use the safe technology, GMOs. The news was welcomed by a variety of politicians and ag groups.
“For the past two years we have worked hard to defend our farmers’ right to use the amazing advances in biotechnology that allow them to increase yields, while reducing water and pesticide use,” stated Rep. [Mike Pompeo (R-KS)]. “These genetically engineered products are not only providing safe food for Kansans, but will feed the next billion people across the world. Through the course of several hearings on GMOs, along with the hundreds of safety studies that have been done over the last 20 years, the argument over the safety of GMOs has now been put to rest.”
Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, said passage in the House of the bill and hopefully final passage of the measure would protect consumers from confusing and misleading GMO labels and create a national, voluntary labeling standard based on science and common sense.
“The American Farm Bureau Federation supports all farmers and ranchers and opposes anyone who stands in the way of safe, affordable food. Consumers benefit from variety in the marketplace and should be free to make choices based on facts. The facts are that many farmers are growing more food with fewer resources, reducing their environmental impact, and keeping costs down—all thanks to advances in biotechnology.
The National Corn Growers Association also praised the bipartisan support for the legislation and sets a uniform, common-sense national standard for labeling foods with GMOs and for GMO-free foods.
“We must pass federal legislation this year to avoid realization of the threat of an unworkable patchwork of state GMO labeling mandates which will drive up costs for farmers and consumers alike,” Linder said. “With Vermont’s state labeling law is set to take effect next July, the looming impacts of this situation increase the urgency of the need for Congress to act on a national labeling law.”
The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives President and CEO Chuck Conner said the vote is a victory for American consumers, farmers and cooperatives.
“Growers and farmer co-ops across the U.S. have embraced biotechnology as a way to increase yields in an environmentally and economically sustainable way; we only have to look to the drought of two years ago to see the benefits that many of these crops provide. With a world population headed to 9 billion people by 2050, GMO crops will play a key role in feeding the future. This bill represents an important step in cutting through the misinformation about GMOs and instead focuses on the science attesting to their safety and the benefits these crops provide.
“Our focus now turns to the Senate. NCFC looks forward to working with the many friends of agriculture in that body to see similar legislation taken up in the near term.”
It was a homecoming for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Krysta Harden at the 2015 Southern Peanut Growers Conference. The number two person at the USDA was raised on a peanut farm in Camilla, Georgia so she felt right at home.
