GE labeling victory

This article was originally published in June 2014

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), a Wash., D.C. lobbying group, says it will sue the state of Vermont in federal court to overturn the nation’s first law to label genetically engineered (GE) foods.

Vermont’s GE labeling law is set to take effect July 1, 2016. It’s essentially the same as Washington’s late labeling initiative, I-522, but contains one extra provision making it illegal to label any GE food as “natural” or “all natural.”

Shumlin says the state has set up a “food fight fund” to take online donations to help defend the law from the GMA lawsuit.
For a list of brands that are GMA members, see the chart, “Who Owns Organic?”

Also in this issue

Soil & Sea: reports from our producers

Learn about the shortage of hard cider apples, why prices for limes are sky-high, grants for young farmers, and how chickens are the latest therapy animals, providing companionship for the elderly in nursing homes.

News bites, June 2014

Organic solutions for livestock, Oil spills deform fish, France bans GE corn, and more

Coal trains

Few environmental issues have raised local fervor as much as the coal trains planned for the Pacific Northwest. Opponents warn that shipping coal through the Northwest will reduce our air and water quality, affecting public health, as well as rivers and wildlife — including salmon habitat — along the shipping routes.