FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2016
CONTACT: Organic Consumers Association: Patrick Kerrigan, (218) 220-9622, patrick@organicconsumers.org; Right to Know MN: Heather Kurth Flesland, (612) 875-4156, heather@righttoknowmn.org
FINLAND, Minn. – At 11:30 am on Tuesday, June 28, members of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) and Right to Know MN, along with other GMO labeling advocates in Minnesota, will gather to condemn Senator Klobuchar for her decision to support the Roberts-Stabenow bill nullifying Vermont’s GMO labeling law, which goes into effect July 1, 2016.
Protesters will call on Senator Klobuchar to oppose any effort to block states’ rights to require GMO labeling.
Ronnie Cummins, international director of the OCA, will speak at the protest.
Senator Klobuchar, who positions herself as a consumer advocate, initially voted in favor of the Roberts bill in committee, then voted against it in March when it came up for a full Senate vote. Klobuchar has said she will support the latest version of the so-called DARK (Deny Americans Right to Know) ACT.
Ronnie Cummins, international director of the OCA:
“Last week, Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) reached a deal that tramples on the rights of consumers and the rights of states like Vermont to protect their own citizens. The Senate appears poised to pass a bill clearly intended to serve the interests of Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturers Association.”
“The purpose of this anti-consumer bill, supported by Senator Amy Klobuchar, is to nullify a law passed by the state of Vermont and poised to take effect July 1. This bill substitutes the requirement for clear, on package labels with a convoluted, inconvenient and discriminatory scheme involving barcodes and 1-800 numbers. It was bought and paid for by Big Food and Ag corporations.”
“This bill would give food corporations another two years before they are even required to pretend to provide consumers with any information at all about the GMO ingredients in their products. Stabenow and Roberts are determined to preempt Vermont’s law, even though major food corporations such as General Mills, Campbell’s, Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Mars, Kellogg’s, ConAgra are already labeling, to comply with Vermont’s July 1 deadline.”
“This pandering to industry is inexcusable, especially when consumers in 64 other countries have the right to know whether or not their food contains GMOs. We will enlist our more than two million supporters to help us keep this bill from getting the required 60 votes in the Senate, and if we have to, we will take this battle all the way to the oval office, and if necessary, launch a national boycott of all foods that are not organic, grass-fed or labeled non-GMO.”
Heather Kurth Fiesland, campaign director of Right to Know Minnesota:
“Many of our Right To Know MN supporters are surprised and shocked that Senator Klobuchar would once again align herself against consumers by supporting this attempt to outlaw meaningful GMO Labeling. This will not be forgotten as they vote in the 2018 election. We stand behind leaders who value and fight for true transparency not blatant gifts to industry.”
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The Organic Consumers Fund is a 501(c)4 allied organization of the Organic Consumers Association, focused on grassroots lobbying and legislative action. Visit: https://organicconsumers.org/
Right to Know MN is a campaign started by concerned citizens to make the labeling of GMOs the law in Minnesota. Right to Know MN is a coalition of farmers, health advocates, families, and others who support healthy foods. The coalition is a group of moms, dads, brothers, sisters, daughters, and sons from all different walks of life, who believe that everyone has the right to know what’s in the foods they eat. Visit: http://www.righttoknowmn.org/