skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, December 1, 2023

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

On World AIDS Day, New Mexico activists say more money is needed for prevention; ND farmers still navigate corporate land-ownership policy maze; Unpaid caregivers in ME receive limited financial grants.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Israel to protect civilians amid Gaza truce talks, New York Rep. George Santos defends himself as his expected expulsion looms and CDC director warns about respiratory illness as flu season begins.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Congress has iced the Farm Bill, but farmer advocates argue some portions are urgent, the Hoosier State is reaping big rewards from wind and solar, and opponents react to a road through Alaska's Brooks Range, long a dream destination for hunters and anglers.

GMO Labeling: Safe or Dark?

play audio
Play

Tuesday, September 29, 2015   

CONCORD, N.H. – It already passed the U.S. House, but there is no stopping the debate over whether the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act really does inform New England consumers about GMO food.

Kate Snyder, director of membership and programs with the New England Farmers Union, says it's hard enough to make sense of food labels. She says consumers need accurate information as to when GMOs, also known as genetically modified organisms, end up on the dinner table.

"Labeling is good for consumers and for farmers, because the relationship between a farmer and a consumer is based on trust," she says. "Transparency in labeling builds that trust."

Supporters of the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act say it will continue voluntary consultation with the FDA about foods derived from new plant varieties. Opponents call it the DARK Act, which stands for "Deny Americans the Right to Know" when GMOS are in the food chain.

Snyder says the matter is less about using GMOs and having "one tool in the tool box," than it is about being transparent with consumers.

"Farmers see the benefit of GMOs and we understand that," she says. "We are not anti-technology. We believe that farmers have the right to choose the farming practices that work for them."

Citing poll after poll, Snyder says consumers want transparency in food labeling, and she adds that the New England Farmers Union believes producers want to share that information with them. The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (HR 1599) passed the House by a wide margin in July, and is expected to be a top item for debate in the Senate this fall.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
According to the National Family Farm Coalition, the average U.S. farmland value is now $3,800 per
acre, the highest since the 1970s. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

North Dakota's farming landscape is seeing policy shifts dealing with corporate ownership of agricultural interests. Now, there's fresh debate at the …


Social Issues

play sound

Advocates for unpaid family caregivers in Maine say they'll need continued support beyond the recently passed paid family and medical leave program…

Social Issues

play sound

The Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida are filing lawsuits against the deacti…


An estimated 40% of recent college graduates in the U.S. are underemployed, according to Statista. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

A new report from WGU Labs, a nonprofit affiliate of Western Governors University based in Millcreek, Utah, is shedding light on the importance of …

Social Issues

play sound

Many older residents of Washington state are facing strains on their budgets -- and the government programs that could assist them are underused…

Today marks the 35th anniversary of World AIDS Day. (Nito/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

New Mexico activists are tapping today's World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, to announce they'll ask the State Legislature to provide more money for treatment …

play sound

Bipartisan legislation that proposes the installation of solar panels in schools across Pennsylvania awaits a vote in the state Senate. The Solar …

Social Issues

play sound

A bill in Congress with a Connecticut House sponsor aims to reduce child labor in the United States. Called the "Children Harmed in Life-Threatening …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021