Next Prop 37? New Mexico Law Calls for Mandatory Labeling of GMOs
Is this the next Prop 37, complete with a forthcoming wave of successful activism and education from concerned consumers? Unfortunately we know that Prop 37 failed due to not only irrefutable deception and lies from the Monsanto-funded ‘No on 37’ campaign, but also seriously questionable vote counting.
What did succeed, however, is mounting awareness over the dangers of GMOs and the subsequent need for labeling.
This awareness has triggered New Mexico lawmakers to introduce legislation that actually calls for the mandatory labeling of GMOs within the state. In essence, it’s the next Prop 37 — and it’s influence is very much the same. It’s also a second chance for health activists worldwide to start the proverbial fire that will ignite similar legislation around the nation and eventually the world.
The New Mexico bill, which was introduced by State Senator Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe), goes into debate this year and will likely be hit (in a similar manner to Prop 37) with a ton of corporate-backed roadblocks. Nevertheless, it’s statistically what the consumers want. Over 90 percent of United States citizens have repeatedly voiced their support of GMO labeling legislation. And that’s using very conservative figures; many show 96% or higher.
Now I don’t agree with everything Senator Wirth does, but this bill is definitely a step in the right direction. And as he puts it, it’s blatantly simple. It’s really not challenging to add an additional notification to consumers that products contain genetically altered ingredients — ingredients that have been linked to everything from infertility to tumors. In fact, it’s beyond absurd that these indicators do not exist. Of course Monsanto and other mega corps profiting on this fact simply do not want you to know what you’re eating.
In a statement reported by RT, Wirth explains:
“The premise of this amendment is simple – New Mexicans deserve the right to know what’s in the food they are eating and feeding to their families.”
The issue is that a precedent was set with the multi-million dollar squelching of Prop 37, an achievement that Monsanto and fellow goons put as one of their greatest. With Prop 37 being crushed by deception, it makes approving this legislation harder. Because in the eyes of some legislators (besides those paid off by corporations who profit from GMOs) it has already been tried.
Major organizations are already giving their support for the bill, however, and many more will likely soon come out and sound the alarm. Food & Water Watch is one of these organizations, with the New Mexico offices coming out and cheering the success of the bill and the necessity of GMO labeling. The organization’s New Mexico Organizer Eleanor Bravo said:
“Giving foods with GE ingredients a label will only improve and expand independent health and scientific knowledge about genetic engineering…”
The time is now to begin spreading the word about this initiative and lighting the fire. It’s almost a certainty that Monsanto & Co. will pump millions into defeating this legislation if it gets too big, but we can have the edge by getting into the game before they disseminate their deceitful propaganda to voters. Ultimately Monsanto will fail, and it will be a grassroots campaign that is responsible for throwing the last stone.
I am in total support of stopping GMO foods. Children and whole communities of people are under attack. Unfortunately for many it comes down to money, gmo foods are much cheaper. Thus, if you are up against the wall what will the average person choose? We must be more than average even in the face of economic tragedy. This fiscal devastation leaves many vulnerable and Monsanto and any other gmo food producer is a predator taking advantage of the most vulnerable.
Including the EARTH, because releasing the GMO Salmon into the food chain is an irreversible crime.
Peace
What companies are utilizers of gmo's? Is there a public listing, even if the foods are not labled?
Take a peek at the bottom of the 'No on 37 dot com" website… click on 'donors' and there "they" are – you are well-served to note that each of the donors has many, many "food" brands that are the vehicle(s) for "their" extremely lucrative sales of GMO and GE products including thousands upon thousands of tons and gallons of herbicides and pesticides… seriously, way no joke.
And realize this is MOST of the food in the US, not a small percentage. If it has corn in it (beef and livestock are fed on corn), there is a good chance it is GE corn. This is why the food industry is so adamant about not labeling food.
http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrus…
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/10/ca…
Hoping this will pass. NM my former state and favorite governor Gary Johnson.
I hope, that the Earth Population will wake up and stop to alter the food that comes from Nature and not from a Laboratory!
I'm boycotting the corporations that are working to keep us from knowing what we're eating:
Monsanto, Dupont, Coca-cola, Pepsi, Kellogg's, General Mills, Frito-Lay, Kraft, & Con-Agra.
These are CORPORATE ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE!
Avoiding these toxic corporations' toxic, processed products will protect your health.
Remember the controversy over ingredient labeling? Same, lame arguments: can't do it, costs too much, some things are excluded, lose jobs, etc. None came to pass. Same for GMO labeling. They'll couple fear and uncertainty with brainwashing techniques to fight it. They will eventually lose. Let's make this their failure.
US patent law allowed exclusive patent rights on GMOs or seeds on the argument that they were uniquely altered, or say substantially transformed. The law again sided with them under the Bush 1992 ruling that their GMO crops were 'substantially equivalent' to ordinary crops, not "substantially transformed, " hence no need to label. So they are different to get the patent but not to get the no labeling, see anything wrong here? Surely everyone must see that they got cake and are eating it too!
The justice system is bought just like most of our elected officials. We should be focused on banning GMOs like other countries because we know they are making us sick. But the AMA , and big pharmaceuticals will dig into their pockets to fight that as they make their living off all us sick people. Pray for karma!
We're behind you New Mexico!
Over thirty European countries have banned GMO foods, even Russia. Their citizens have been protected by their laws.
It looks like this is the way that the population will be reduced. GMO corn interferes with the fertility of cows and pigs, besides causing tumors in rodents. Most New Mexicans are not informed and depend on the corporate news channels. Mention increase in cost of food, and they will vote with their wallets.
I have talked with people in the produce department of Smith's and they have never heard of GMO foods, but once I tell them they are very interested. We need a strong campaign to inform people, like handing out leaflets at grocery stores. But given the rights of corporations over the public we will likely be arrested for doing so.
Need to remember a couple of things not mentioned: first is the GMO drift so even in places where GMO crops are banned, drift via wind, birds, etc can spread these seeds, slow progress as it may be.
Second, people bring in these seeds, sometimes inadvertently. In Mexico GM corn began to be spread this way. And Third, and very importantly, many organic companies are owned by toxic agribiz. Cascadian Farms organic frozen vegetables, for example is owned by Kelloggs or Dean foods (forget which one). There are all too many other brands that are marked organic but owned by the very people dumping boucoup dollars into the No Prop #37.
Monsanto ex-executives have infiltrated just about every single government agency and department, not just the FDA, USDA, and EPA.
Hillary Clinton, for example, was an ex-Monsanto Lawyer.
We should not even try to label. A ban is what is needed.
Sign me up to be in full support of GE labeling!!!
Let us label..Next, we will work hard to ban GE foods.