GMO
Groups urge USDA to set tighter rules for GMO crops
Three-dozen consumer groups and businesses asked the USDA to tighten its regulation of crops containing genetically modified organisms as part of an overhaul of its regulatory system, said Reuters.
House Commerce chairman backs state GMO preemption
The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce gave his support to legislation that would bar states from requiring labels on food made with genetically modified organisms and keep labeling voluntary on the federal level. In a statement, chairman Fred Upton thanked the Agriculture Committee "for working with us to get this bill through the House." The preemption bill is being handled by Upton's committee. Support by a chairman smooths the way for legislation.
Coalition opposes new weedkiller for GMO crops
A coalition of nine environmental and consumer groups says it submitted more than 500,000 comments in opposition to a Dow weedkiller that combines the herbicides glyphosate and 2,4-D. The Environmental Protection Agency says it hopes to make a final decision later this year, "perhaps by late summer or early fall," on the Enlist Duo weedkiller. It tentatively has decided the herbicide is safe for use.
Groups seeking GMO-label laws target glyphosate
The Just Label It campaign for mandatory labeling of food made with genetically modified organisms "rolled out a trio of academics on Wednesday in a bid to raise public awareness of the public health and environmental costs of herbicides used in the production of genetically engineered crops," said Agri-Pulse.
Encyclical discusses benefits, risks of agro biotech
In his encyclical on the environment, Pope Francis devotes a section to genetic modification (GM) of crops and livestock. "The risks involved are not always due to the techniques used, but rather to their improper or excessive application," says the pope.
GMO labeling and a GOP family feud in Kansas
Rep Mike Pompeo, sponsor of a bill to pre-empt states from labeling of GMO foods, is challenged in the Aug 5 Republican primary in Kansas by his predecessor, Todd Tiahrt. The Topeka Capital-Journal describes it as "a GOP family feud punctuated by slash-and-burn denunciations. This is clearly a race capable of ripping Republicans apart."
U.S. judge nullifies Maui County ban on GMO crops
A voter-approved ban on crops containing genetically modified organisms in Maui County, Hawaii, was invalidated by a federal judge, says the Associated Press.
USDA gets bigger role in GMO preemption bill
The sponsors of a House bill to prevent states from requiring special labels on GMO foods are considering a new version that would put the USDA in charge of certifying if foods are made from genetically modified organisms or not. The bill, filed by Mike Pompeo of Kansas and GK Butterfield of North Carolina, would keep labeling voluntary at the federal level.
Lawmakers: Voluntary labeling of non-GMO food is feasible
The Agriculture Department has the experience to oversee a voluntary system for labeling non-GMO foods, leaders of the House Agriculture Committee said after a review of the department's Process Verified Program. Creation of a voluntary labeling system for food made without genetically modified organisms is a key element of a House bill to pre-empt states from requiring special labels on GMO foods.
State lawmakers throttle back on GE food labeling
After Vermont's enactment of the first-in-the-nation labeling law for genetically engineered foods in 2014, state legislatures are comparatively quiet on the issue this year. Only four items were enacted during sessions that ended this spring and two of them were resolutions, from Idaho and North Dakota, that ask Congress to ensure there is a uniform national standard for labeling, says the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Bill for voluntary GMO labeling to be unveiled today
Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo called a news conference for today to unveil a bill that would block states from requiring special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms, and keep labeling voluntary on the federal level.
Pompeo seeks Senate path for GMO-labeling bill
Seventeen lawmakers signed as co-sponsors to the Pompeo-Butterfield bill in the House to pre-empt state labeling of foods made with genetically modified organisms. Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Kansas Republican, told reporters he's spent a lot of time talking to senators about the legislation, a broader-reaching bill than his 2014 version. "We just have to find the right path forward," he said, which means finding well-positioned sponsors who could help steer the bill through committee approval to a floor vote.
House bill expected this week to pre-empt state GMO labels
Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo is expected to file a new version this week of his bill to pre-empt state laws that require labels on food made with genetically modified organisms, according to reports by Agri-Pulse and Politico. The bill would include language allowing the USDA to certify foods to be sold with a non-GMO label. Food companies that use the non-GMO label "would be barred from suggesting 'either expressly or by implication' that their products are safer than biotech versions," says Agri-Pulse.
Oregon’s “right to farm” no barrier to county GMO-crop ban
A federal judge says the voter-enacted ban on GMO crops in Jackson County, in southwestern Oregon, "is legal under state law," said the Medford Mail Tribune. Two alfalfa farms challenged the ban, approved a year ago, as a violation of Oregon's "right to farm" law and also asked for $4.2 million as compensation if they had to destroy their genetically modified crops. The ordinance allowed a 12-month transition period, giving farmers time to harvest crops before they would have to be removed.
Ruling on Vermont GMO label law may put heat on Congress
U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss ruled that Vermont can proceed with its first-in-the-nation law requiring special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms. The law takes effect on July 1, 2016. Foodmakers sued to block the law shortly after it was passed last year, and requested an injunction against implementation of the law while the suit was being decided.
Vilsack asks China to scale back ban on U.S. poultry
During a 45-minute telephone call, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asked his Chinese counterpart to scale back the ban on imports of U.S. poultry imposed because of avian influenza in the western half of the country. Agriculture Minister Han Changfu demurred, saying Chinese law required a full-country ban, Vilsack told the North American Agricultural Journalists. "They will have a team come to the United States in the summer" to see firsthand U.S. biosecurity controls designed to spot outbreaks and prevent them from spreading.
Monsanto, growers settle suit over rogue GMO wheat
Monsanto, the giant seed company, settled lawsuits field by wheat growers in seven states over the 2013 discovery of a GMO variety growing in the wild in eastern Oregon.
Soy farmers back voluntary non-GMO label
The American Soybean Association "wants to change the dialogue on GMO labeling by supporting a voluntary certified non-GMO label through USDA," says DTN.
GM crops grown on 55 percent of U.S. cropland, says USDA
Farmer adoption of genetically modified crop varieties is spreading beyond the well-known dominance of the major field crops of corn, soybeans, and cotton, said a USDA report. When lesser-known GM crops such as canola, potatoes, and apples are counted, about 55 percent of U.S. cropland is planted to GM varieties, said the Economic Research Service report.