This issue is quite serious. Just this Tuesday the House and Monsanto scored a critical victory regarding the mandatory labeling of foods as GMO and the prevention of cities and counties from banning GMO crops. Check out this story here:

U.S. food companies and other opponents of genetically modified food labeling notched a key victory on Tuesday as the House Agriculture Committee approved a measure banning mandatory labeling as well as local efforts to regulate genetically engineered crops.

The move demonstrates fresh momentum for those seeking to block mandated labeling of foods made with GMO crops, food industry advocates said.

“This… legislation will ensure that Americans have accurate, consistent information about their food rather than a 50 state patchwork of labeling laws that will only prove costly and confusing for consumers, farmers and food manufacturers,” said Pamela Bailey, CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), said in a statement.

The group called on the full House of Representatives to pass the measure, which the panel approved in a voice vote, before the August recess.

Groups lobbying for mandatory GMO labeling said they are increasing their efforts to make sure that H.R. 1599, dubbed the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, never becomes law.

“The real fight will be in the Senate,” said Scott Faber, executive director of Just Label It, an advocacy group pushing for mandated labeling. “This is from over.”

What does this mean? This means there will be more restrictions in food bans that have already been placed and even good companies hoping to advertise their GMO-free food might be prohibited from doing so. Check out Kristen Anderson’s story here for more info:

While dozens of countries around the world ban GE crops and have ousted Monsanto after citizens protested, petitioned, and took to the streets, the United States seems to want to do everything it can to keep its citizens in the dark about what they are actually eating. Americans clearly want labeling that presents them with accurate and consistent information about what is in their food. As it stands right now, each state has a different method of GMO labeling and some have none at all. Farmers and food manufacturers cannot keep up with 50 different standards. Maine has already passed a law requiring labeling GMO products, and those labels would be prohibited if this bill is upheld in the Senate.

Opponents of GMO labeling state that it would raise food prices and trick consumers into thinking that the GMO-free foods are safer, more nutritious, or otherwise superior to the foods including GMO ingredients. Farmers say that it will be impossible for them to feed the US population by 2050 if they are not permitted to cultivate GMO crops. They say that GMO crops are more resistant to pests and disease, require less land, and are hardier than their GMO-free alternatives. Farmers, already struggling to compete with factory farms and corporations, are facing an ever increasing number of laws and regulations governing how they acquire their seeds, treat their crops for disease and pests, and harvest and store our food.

When society shifted from an agrarian economy to an industrial economy and outsourced food production from the family farm to the farmer or corporation, the quality of our food changed forever. It became someone’s job to produce the largest tomato. It became someone’s livelihood to reduce their costs any way they could. It became much more important to control pests and disease because instead of losing 5 bunches of grapes a week, a farmer could lose thousands of bunches of grapes a week. The farm that produces the best yield survives, the farm that can’t will be eliminated.

Is this when consumers lost the right to know what was in their food? Was it when society elected to stop farming for one family at a time and farm for the masses? Or was it when one giant company controlled practically all of the seed stock in the world? Or was it when the government let themselves be bought by giant companies more interested in profits than in consumer choice and safety?

Here’s a video that shows house committee discussing the benefits of the Accurate Food Labeling Act:

SEE VIDEO

http://investmentwatchblog.com/taking-over-our-food-house-backs-monsanto-and-bans-gmo-labeling-soon-there-wont-be-much-food-that-isnt-owned-by-monsanto/#axzz3gGpj74hw