Saturday, June 30, 2012

Obama Betrays Campaign Promise to Label Genetically Engineered Food


Ronnie Cummins Organic Consumers Association

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June 28, 2012

Obama Betrays Campaign Promise to Label Genetically Engineered Food

In 2007, Senator Obama, campaigning for the presidency in the Democratic primary, promised to label genetically engineered food.
Now, if you write the Obama for America campaign about GMO labels, you get this response:
"Genetically modified crops hold out the promise of benefits like increased production and reduced reliance on pesticides. At the same time, some Americans want more information to help them choose their food. President Obama understands these concerns and is considering additional steps in this area."

What? How can he flip his position like that? What makes him believe Monsanto's lies? Why isn't he listening to the 9 out of 10 voters who want GMOs labeled? Is there anything we can do to get him back on our side before November?
The first step is to give Barack Obama a piece of our minds! Bill Maher did on his show last week, when he called the President out for breaking his campaign promise on GMO labels and putting Monsanto's Michael Taylor in charge of food safety. Please tell the Obama for America campaign what you think about broken promises.
Watch the Bill Maher Clip and Take Action
Note: Coverage of the Supreme Court's Obamacare ruling coming next week...



Monsanto's Sneak Attack on Organic and Non-GMO Farmers

Monsanto is using its money and influence to push Congress to attach a rider to the 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill that would effectively end judicial review of approvals of new genetically engineered crops.
If this rider (Sec. 733) isn't removed, organic and non-GMO farmers will lose their access to the court system and they'll have no recourse when the U.S. Department of Agriculture illegally approves new genetically engineered crops that threaten to contaminate their fields and seed supplies.
Monsanto's sneak attack is a response to successful lawsuits brought by the Center for Food Safety on behalf of organic and non-GMO farmers and seed growers that have attempted to block planting of genetically engineered sugar beets and alfalfa while the USDA conducted a court-ordered review of the dangers of contamination.
A vote to remove Monsanto's rider from the Agriculture Appropriations bill was expected this week, but now has been delayed until after Congress returns from their July 4th recess. Let's use this time to spread the word and send tens of thousands of letters to Congress!
Take Action



Support OCA and OCF

Help Us Keep the Pressure On

We’re halfway through 2012, and thanks to you, it’s been a good year so far. But we still have our work cut out for us, especially when it comes to GMO labeling laws.
There won’t be a top-down solution for GMO labeling as long as President Obama continues to allow his appointees, Michael Taylor, in charge of food safety at the FDA, and Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, to maintain GMOs are safe.
We need your help to pressure state and local governments to stand up to the Monsantos of the world, while we also work on citizen-powered GMO labeling initiatives.
If you haven’t pitched in this year, please consider a donation now. If you have, please pass this along to your friends, or share on social media. Thank you!
Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible, helps support our work on behalf of organic standards, fair trade and public education)
Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our legislative efforts in California and other states)



Essay of the Week

Ronnie's Message from Rio: Unite and Fight for Survival

Most national governments and multinational corporations who gathered in Rio are still pushing feeble reforms that amount to too little, too late. While Big Ag, Big Biotech, Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Timber, and Big Finance push their united “Green Economy,” agenda, a major segment of the global gra ssroots remain fragmented and divided, bogged down in thousands of defensive single-issue battles.
The good news, in Rio and across the world, is that the global grassroots are finally rising up and saying, “Hell no!” to business as usual. Real change, not the hollow “change you can believe in” of the Obama administration, was in the air in Rio. Climate activists are ready to unite and survive by closing the ranks and taking on the Climate Criminals.
Read More

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