Label It!

Let's make Minnesota one of the first states to require labeling of GMO foods! Free Hit Counter

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What's Monsanto?

In case you guys didn't know, Monsanto is a huge company that controls much of the food market today. They are one of the biggest opponents of the HF 850 and SF 880 - and since they are such a huge company, they hold significant power to sway the government. They hold much of the patenting for GM seeds and crops - they wish to see GM foods still used as widely and without restriction as they are today - thus we have the March Against Monsanto to protest. Scroll below to see details for the event! Hope to see you there!

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MARCH AGAINST MONSANTO MAY 24, 2014 IN SAINT PAUL! RALLY STARTS AT 12:00PM

This is a peaceful, family-friendly gathering that is perfect for bringing family and friends! There will be live music, speakers, and plenty of marching and rallying. Get there early to see the shows before the march! Music starts at 11:40AM. 

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Hi! I'm Katie from Minnesota and I see that you have some readers from other states... But I was wondering if there were ways to take action (physically) other than online? These would preferably be specific to Minnesota. Thanks!

Hey Katie! Visit https://www.facebook.com/RightToKnowMN and like the page to get instant updates of the latest news on Minnesota's legislation! Next Saturday, there's a March Against Monsanto in Saint Paul! Details will be posted shortly. Thank you for your interest!

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Hi I'm Dane from New York -What are the predominant arguments against mandatory labeling? It seems that most of your arguments here are for mandatory labeling, but none against. Thanks!

The following are common arguments (information courtesy of New York Times and the Washington Institute of Health:

GMO labeling would cause 'false association' of GMO foods with unhealthy choices and could raise prices of all food (NOT SIGNIFICANT! 2-3 DOLLARS A YEAR)

GMO foods are good for the environment - they decrease pesticide use (NOT TRUE!)

Organic foods already guarantee non-GMO foods (People deserve to know if the food is non-GMO but also non-organic. Organic foods are not friendly to our wallets). 

FDA has issued multiple reports attempting to reassure the public that GM foods are nutritionally the same as their non-GM counterparts (Consumers still have the right to know that they're eating. 

Thank you for your interest! I hope this was helpful!

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Hi I'm Brian from New Jersey and I'm very interested in this topic. Do you think it is possible for New Jersey to adopt these laws too? What are possible ways to start a movement here too? Thanks! Great job on your website by the way. It's great to see someone taking initiative for something they care about- keep up the good work!

Awesome Brian!! New Jersey is a great place to start a new movement. You can start by writing suggestions to your local/state legislature to indicate your interest. Here is the current info of the movement in your state (it already exists!): http://gmofreenj.com/gmolabelnj/. Good luck! There are also numerous petitions, etc. online that you can check out (they’re on facebook). Other ways would be to talk to local grocery store or food company representatives. They are all interested in this topic too, so they very likely be interested in talking to you too. 

Good luck!!

-Charlene

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Minnesota Issues

http://lakeminnetonka.patch.com/blogs/emily-chens-blog?content_subdomain=lakeminnetonka

Visit this blog to see the new info and updates on the issue of Animal Testing in Minnesota!

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7 Ways to Fight Back Against Monsanto and Other Corporate Bullies of the GMA

Defying repeated threats of a lawsuit from Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), on May 8, Peter Shumlin, Governor of Vermont, signed a historic bill requiring food manufacturers to label genetically engineered (GE) foods, and to drop the practice of labeling GE foods as “natural” or “all natural.”

SEE MORE:

http://ecowatch.com/2014/05/15/7-ways-fight-back-monsanto-bullies-gma-gmo-labeling/

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Stop Monsanto and Big Food's secret plan to kill GMO labeling!

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Don’t let Monsanto, the GMA and the Koch brothers kill GMO labeling. Right now Monsanto and giant food companies are desperate to kill GMO labeling efforts across the country, their secret plane to preempt state’s rights and kill mandatory labeling have been leaked publicly and we need you to act today!

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Guess where it is already easier to find NON GMO Project verified foods thanks to prominent labels? The Whole Foods in Minneapolis! And it should keep getting easier as Whole Foods’ mandatory 2018 GMO labeling date approaches.

Thank goodness for grocery stores that respond to customers who don’t want GMOs!

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Here's California's story:

California GMO Labeling Law Named Prop. 37

Food Safety News, James Andrews California’s Office of the Secretary of State announced on Monday that the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, also known as the GMO labeling initiative, will appear on voter ballots as Proposition 37 for the November 6 elections…

The Right to Know campaign collected nearly 1 million signatures for the initiative, virtually doubling California’s 550,000-signature requirement…

If passed, Prop. 37 would make California the first state in the U.S. to require labeling of most foods made with genetically modified organisms — those given specific changes to their DNA through genetic engineering techniques…

…the Right to Know campaign does not hope to ban or eliminate GE foods from the market, but operates on the belief that consumers should simply be able to know whether their food was genetically engineered.

Polls conducted by various organizations in recent years have found that roughly 90 percent of Californians support labeling for genetically engineered (GE) foods. But regardless of the polls, leaders of California’s GE labeling movement are still preparing for a fight on the road to election day…

Earlier this year, three-quarters of U.S. Senators rejected a federal GE labeling bill. Nearly 20 states have had similar bills turned down in congress in the past year…

Most major food corporations oppose GE labeling… The Grocery Manufacturers Association calls GE labels unnecessary and potentially confusing to consumers who might perceive the label as an indication of a risk.

GE labeling is already law in nearly 50 countries, including China, Japan and each European state. Alaska requires labeling of GE fish and shellfish, making it the only U.S. state with any type of GE labeling law.

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Handy decoder.

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Vermont Breaks Ground to Become First State to Label GMOs

MINNESOTA NEXT?? 

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http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/the-stream/the-stream-multimedia/2013/9/25/labeling-geneticallymodifiedfoodsinfographic.html :interactive infographic on states’ rules on GMO food labeling

Vermont is now a new state that has this law passed! Woohoo!

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Why Label?

Labeling is only required in 1 state so far in the US: Vermont. So why should the rest of the states (specifically Minnesota) require the labeling of GMOs too? Information here is courtesy of justlabelit.org, righttoknowmn.org, 

GMOs are not proven to be safe. Minnesota's regulations are not quite as strong as we think. The number of FDA and Minnesota food safety regulation checks has decreased more than 50% in the past 15 years.

Studies show that 90% of Americans support the required labeling of GMOs. 

Could contribute to future health costs: animals that have consumed GMOs have an increased rate of cancer and tumors than animals that eat non-GMO foods. 

Planting GMO crops increase the amount of pesticides used for these crops. Requiring the labeling of these foods would discourage environmentally-conscious people to avoid these foods

Consumers have a fundamental right to know what's in their food. If even gasoline companies are required to label the content of their gasoline, why shouldn't food companies be required to label what's in their products? The consumer still has a complete freedom to buy what they want. They will only be more informed. 

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Right to Know

Right to Know is a very strong organization, interest group, and part of the iron triangle that works to push H.F. 850 and other legislation through the MN legislature. 

Want to find out more about labeling GMO's? Click here!

Passionate about this topic and want to find ways to take action? Visit here!

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No words need to be said. 

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You'll never know the difference without the label.