For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Genetic Engineering Page and our Millions Against Monsanto Page.

Do Americans have the right to know what’s in our food? Do we have the right to choose to NOT eat Genetically Modified (GMO) food?

The next round in the years-long battle has begun, as Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Congressman Pete DeFazio (D-OR) introduce the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act (read the Senate bill here, House bill here).

The good news:

 • This is a bi-partisan bill with a bunch of co-sponsors (listed at the end of this article). 
 • Labeling has huge public support.

The bad news:

 • Big agriculture, and corporate behemoth Monsanto in particular, HATE the idea of labeling. They claim their food is perfectly safe  so we should just shut up and buy it. 

 • These guys just spent $46 million to kill a ballot measure in California, Prop 37  so you can bet they’re going to be spending big bucks to buy this bill a slow and quiet death. 
 
• Monsanto has done a good job of packing Washington with their lobbyists (as well as putting many of their former employees into the very jobs that are supposed to regulate GMO food – see “
Monsanto Employees in the Halls of Government Part 1” and “
Part 2“.)

Andrew Kimbrell, executive director at the Center for Food Safety, says, “Now is the time for FDA to reverse its two-decade old policy decision against labeling. FDA has the authority to mandate GE labeling, yet they refuse to act.  We applaud Senator Boxer and Congressman DeFazio for taking action to bring FDA’s labeling policy into the 21st century.”