California senator introduces new GMO labeling bill providing greater clarity than Prop 37

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 by: L.J. Devon, Staff Writer
Tags: GMO labeling, California, Prop 37

(NaturalNews) Under the current agricultural paradigm in America, food grown from lab-engineered seeds is accepted, labeled and sold like its real, whole food. There is no mention on the label of its synthetic origins or the potentially dangerous doses of herbicides used.

GMOs go unlabeled and are accepted as real food, forcing whole food to go up in price and starving consumers of nutrition

Organic food, on the other hand, has to go through rigorous and expensive verification and certification processes just to prove that it's real. The mere presence of genetically modified organisms and herbicides in the food supply has made real, whole food scarcer, making the price of organic go up.

This GMO-stranglehold on food herds many consumers to buy the cheaper, herbicide-ridden GMOs, which pale nutritionally in comparison to real organic food. This, in turn, weakens the immune system of the general populace, causing some to look to gimmicks like flu shots for protection, while self-empowering, immune-system-building nutrition is disregarded.

These lab-engineered seeds, designed to withstand chemicals like Roundup, get the free pass, while consumers are left in the dark, not knowing what type of bacterial gene was used in the manufacture of that seed.

Food doesn't have to be a big business, shrouded in secrecy

It's easy to recognize that there is a monopoly on food, noting that biotech firms like Monsanto manufacture both the Roundup and its matching genetically engineered seed in the same place for a common purpose. Furthermore, these seeds are patented, making agriculture dependent on big business for providing food.

Food doesn't have to be a big business. If communities worked together, food could actually be grown whole and natural from smaller farms and individuals. Real food could be shared, traded and bartered for at the local level. Consumers wouldn't be scammed into buying unlabeled GMO food which props up monopolies and chemical labs. Heirloom seeds, straight from the victory garden, can provide liberty to all, as people begin reconnecting with nature and each other. Sun, water and soil converge to create miraculous, nutritious plants and herbs that can save people from falling prey to the pharmaceutical industries.

It is true. The movement to grow one's own food is expanding. Farmers' markets and food co-ops are growing. People are learning more about GMOs in the food supply. As the call for greater transparency continues, people will consciously begin to take back control of the food supply.

State of California introduces new, simpler GMO labeling bill

And the calls for transparency are being heard at the state level in California. California State Senator Norren Evans has recently introduced a new bill that would require genetically engineered food sold in California to be labeled. Californians for GE Food Labeling and another 17 environmental consumer food groups are backing the bill, which aims to bring transparency to the people of California and be more simple than Proposition 37.

The new bill, which is expected to face opposition from the biotech industry and chemical giants, is a courageous stand against food secrecy.

"Californians agree -- we want the choice about the food we put on our dinner tables. We want a choice about the legacy we leave the Golden State's children," said Debbie Friedman, a co-chair of Moms Advocating Sustainability, one of the coalition groups. "Labeling genetically engineered foods gives us the opportunity to make informed decisions about our food, from farm to fork."

Prop 37, which derived from California in 2012, required GMOs to be labeled in the state. The measure was defeated by biotech firms and chemical lobbyists. Monsanto's 47-million-dollar public relations campaign in 2012 ultimately pulled the strings and shut Prop 37 down.

The new bill represented by state Senator Evans is much simpler and could pass, providing transparency to all Californian consumers, while protecting farmers from litigation.

"This is an inevitable wave of change," said Grant Lundberg, a third-generation rice farmer, CEO of Lundberg Family Farms and former co-chair of the Proposition 37 initiative campaign. "The effort has come full circle to California. The new straightforward bill is an even simpler, clearer version of Proposition 37. It would simply require food sold in California grocery stores to be labeled if it contains genetically engineered ingredients."

While Monsanto is prepared to inject millions to fight the new transparency initiative, proponents of the GMO labeling bill are working to remove confusion. The new bill clarifies the proposed law, protecting farmers and placing limits on potential litigation against them.

Kristin Urquiza, co-coordinator of Californians for GE Food Labeling, says, "California leaders have an opportunity to cut through the misinformation and give shoppers the right to choose what kind of food and food system they want."

The current paradigm of food secrecy and labeling dishonesty is shifting.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.panna.org

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com

http://www.monsanto.com

http://science.naturalnews.com