Breaking: Champions Introduce Important New Legislation!

Great news! Strong legislation has been introduced in Congress to label genetically engineered foods (GMOs)! This is a great step forward, but we know we'll have an uphill battle to get this legislation passed.

Why is this important? Often people ask us why this even matters. Here are answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions we get on this topic:

Question: What is a genetically engineered food or GMO?

Answer: A genetically engineered food is a plant or animal that has been changed by taking genes from one species and inserting them into the DNA of another species or altering the DNA in a way that could never happen through traditional cross-breeding or in nature.

Question: Aren't genetically engineered foods safe?

Answer: The approval process for new GMO crops in the U.S. is extremely weak and relies solely on the safety tests done by the corporations that are creating these crops. Right now, most crops are approved by federal regulators under the "generally recognized as safe" provision, which means that if a GMO corn variety looks and "acts" like the non-GMO version of corn, it is approved.

Question: But don't farmers need genetically engineered foods to feed the growing world population?

Answer: Over 99% of the GMO crops that are being planted today are engineered to withstand strong chemical applications, or to produce their own pesticides. Often, the chemical companies like Monsanto, Dow and DuPont that create GMO crops also create the chemicals that have to be used with the crops, so the main benefit of these patented crops is for the companies and their profits. Additionally, most of these GMO crops — like corn, soybeans, canola and cotton — are not grown as food for direct human consumption, but rather for animal feed, or to create ingredients in processed foods.

Question: If over 90% of Americans support the labeling of GMOs, why hasn't Congress or the Food and Drug Administration done anything?

Answer: What we eat and feed our families has a direct impact on our health and well-being, and we have a right to know if the food we're eating has been altered in a way that could never happen in nature. Unfortunately, the big food industries spend millions lobbying Congress and federal agencies to keep labels off of GMO foods. The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents the biggest food and chemical companies, has spent over $50 million to defeat labeling initiatives in multiple states.

Question: Why should I take action and ask my members of Congress to support this legislation?

Answer: Genetically engineered crops are in most processed foods but are unlabeled, so many people who wish to avoid foods with GMO ingredients don't know where they are lurking. GMOs are untested and it's unknown how these engineered foods may be impacting our health and the environment. At the very least, shouldn't we have a choice to avoid them if we want to?

Ask your Members of Congress to support labeling of genetically engineered foods.

In addition to the good legislation that has been introduced, we're also expecting bad legislation to be introduced any day that would take away states' rights to label GMOs.

Can you take action today to ask your Members of Congress to support the GMO labeling bills and oppose any bills that would limit states' rights to label genetically engineered foods?

At the end of the day, it all comes down to who gets to decide what you are eating. Shouldn't that person be you?

Should You Decide If You Want to Eat GMOs?

Ask Your Members of Congress to Support the GMO Labeling Bills!

Thanks for taking action,

Sarah Alexander

Deputy Organizing Director

Food & Water Watch

act(at)fwwatch(dot)org

P.S. Still look for more information about genetically engineered foods? Check out our research report on GMOs.