GMO labeling
Federal court hearing is first day of long GMO fight
Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell says a federal court hearing was just the first day of a long legal battle over the state's law that requires, from July 1, 2016, special labels on foods made with genetically modified organisms.
High stakes in Vermont GMO labeling lawsuit
Oral arguments are tentatively set for early January in U.S. District Court in Vermont on the state's law that requires, from July 1, 2016, special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms, says the Burlington (VT) Free Press.
Recount half over, Oregon GMO labeling makes no headway
County clerks have recounted half of the ballots, and the Oregon initiative for labeling GMO food has lost ground slightly. Measure 92 lost by 812 votes in the election-night tally. The "no" side has netted a gain of two votes with 22 of 36 counties reporting the results of their recounts, according to data posted by the Secretary of State's office. The recount should be complete by mid-week.
Chefs stir up nutrition policy in Congress
The Chef Action Network is on the same page with Food Policy Action, says Politico. Both are recent creations with a food-movement orientation and both hope to influence lawmakers.
Oregon GMO recount nets 2 more “no” votes in early going
Partway through the recount of the Oregon referendum on labeling GMO foods, there was a net gain of two votes against labeling, according to data posted by the Secretary of State's office. Fifteen of the state's 36 counties reported results as of Thursday evening. Opponents had a 43,627-vote margin in those counties, up from the 43,625-vote margin from the election-night tally.
China considers law requiring GMO food labels
Chinese lawmakers are considering a proposed law to require labeling of all foods that contain genetically modified organisms, says China Daily.
Oregon GMO recount begins Tuesday, completed by Dec 12
County clerks in Oregon will begin a recount on Tuesday of the 1.5 million ballots cast on Measure 92, to require labels on foods made with genetically engineered organisms, according to a schedule posted by Secretary of State Kate Brown.
House panel formally sets hearing on GMO labeling
The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday on labeling of GMO foods. The session, "Examining FDA's role in the regulation of genetically modified food ingredients," is expected to provide a...
Oregon GMO referendum appears on track for a recount
The voter initiative in Oregon to require special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms appears to be headed for a recount.
Five top themes of 2014 and for the new year
The year-end holidays are a traditional time for summing up and for trying to forecast the future. Here is the Ag Insider list of five salient issues in food and agriculture policy likely to lead the headlines in the new year, as they did in the year now waning. The issues...
Oregon GMO recount begins in 19 counties
A hand recount of the vote on whether to require labels on GMO foods in Oregon began in 19 of the state's 36 counties on Tuesday, said the Salem Statesman Journal.
Recount assured, Oregon GMO labeling trails by 809 votes
Final unofficial results in Oregon show the GMO labeling initiative failied by 809 votes out of 1.5 million ballots. The split in votes "is within the margin that would trigger an automatic recount," said the Secretary of State's office. The next step is for Secretary of State Kate Brown to certify the results, which could be as early as Dec 1 and would set off a recount that could last for two weeks.
US organic food standards on the menu for debate
USDA's organic food label, the gold standard for shopper wanting food free of genetically modified organisms and chemical pesticides, "has come under increasing attack as a handful of consumer groups question the USDA’s handling of the National Organic Standards Board," says Roll Call.
Oregon counties that banned GMO crops split on GMO labels
Residents of the Rogue River Valley of southern Oregon voted by large majorities in May to ban GMO crops from Jackson and Josephine counties. They split last week on whether to require special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms, according to results in an interactive map posted by the Portland Oregonian. In Jackson County, the vote was 55-45 in favor of GMO labeling but in Josephine County, it was 51-49 against it.
Oregon vote is closest yet on GMO labeling, fight continues
The Oregon referendum on labeling food made with genetically modified organisms, while a defeat, was the closest vote yet on the idea, which has gone to a vote in different states for three years in a row. Proponents and opponents say the expensive and splashy elections will lead to a national debate.
Berkeley soda tax and Maui GE limits win, GMO labels lose
Voters in Berkeley, Calif, approved the nation's first municipal soda tax and Maui County, Hawaii, passed an initiative that bars cultivation of genetically engineered crops during Tuesday's general elections. Statewide referendums in Oregon and California to require labels of food made with genetically modified organisms were defeated.
GMO labeling crops up in the South
Legislation "to regulate genetically modified crops at the local and state level" are beginning to appear in agriculture-friendly Southern states, says Delta Farm Press.
GMO food labeling initiative trails in Oregon poll
Opponents held a 6-point advantage in a poll of 403 likely voters in Oregon on whether to require special labels on foods containing genetically modified organisms, says the Portland Oregonian, one of two news outlets that commissioned the survey by Elway Research.