GMO
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.
Oregon county delays enforcement of GMO crop ban
Officials in Jackson County, Oregon, won't enforce a voter-approved ban on genetically engineered crops until there is a U.S. District Court decision, says the Medford Mail Tribune.
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.
Dow had China in mind with US sales plan for new GE seeds
An official at Dow AgroSciences says the company decided to restrict sales of its new genetically engineered Enlist corn and soybeans after "extensive talks with U.S. grain leaders who fear roiling trade with China," says Reuters.
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.
Thumbs down for GE potato from largest fast-food chain
Fast-food giant McDonald's says "it doesn't plan to buy...the Innate potato," genetically engineered by JR Simplot to produce smaller amounts of acrylamide, a suspected carcinogen, when fried, says the Idaho Statesman.
Monsanto, Dow sue to overturn Maui GE crop moratorium
Seed companies Monsanto and Dow filed suit in U.S. District Court in Honolulu to overturn a voter-approved moratorium on genetically engineered crops in Maui County, Hawaii, said the Maui Times.
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.
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.