Organic Lifestyle Magazine

GMO Labeling Legislation Introduced In Minnesota

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Last updated on: June 28, 2015

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In the dead of winter, the Minnesota State Legislature isn’t letting the snow keep them from reintroducing legislation to label GMOs. At the end of January, HF 351 and SF 335 were proposed in both the House and the Senate. While the state has proposed legislation that would disclose the presence of GMO ingredients to consumers by January of 2017, support for GMO labeling in the state has grown at a fantastic rate. After seeing the Oregon initiative to label GMOs defeated by a mere 812 votes, activists across Minnesota are pushing even more to make sure they get the support they need to pass these bills and let GMO companies know that we want to know what is in our food.

No More GMOs!

Natural News has reported before on the initiatives Minnesotans have been taking to protect themselves from Monsanto toxins. Last December, Minnesota educators started a plan to phase GMOs out of school lunches instead using things like organic squash and hot dogs made from grass fed beef. A month earlier, they had GMO awareness day, distributing information on the lack of proper testing for GMOs and their links to allergies, cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other diseases. Educators took the initiative to distribute flyers to parents detailing the negative effects of GMOs on developing children. The Minnesota state legislature has also proposed bills from both the Senate and the House supporting informed purchasing in the past.

Massive Public Support

Even though bills to labels GMOs have been proposed and defeated before, the local support for these two bills is strong in Minnesota. Polls across the nation have found that the majority of Americans want to know about genetically engineered ingredients in their food. Minnesota is no different. Activists from Minnesota’s Right to Know organization have expanded the number of co-authors on both bills and met with over 45 legislators in their quest to get these bills passed. Local news outlets in St. Paul are reporting on the large number of people who showed up to the first Capitol hearing of this bill. Local businesses are also receiving requests from customers asking that they label their products, and that they support bills like this that will allow for informed purchasing.

Big Business Poses a Threat

While the Minnesota’s Farmer’s Union have also voiced support for these bills, there is always the possibility of Monsanto and others throwing a monkey wrench in these plans. Large agricultural corporations like Hormel, Land o’ Lakes, and General Mills are based in Minnesota. Collectively they spent millions of dollars opposing the labeling of GMOs in California. With plenty of time between now and the informational hearing on these bills in April, Monsanto and these other corporations have plenty of time to spread misinformation and lies to Minnesota voters in an attempt to protect their profits.

Show Your Support

If you or any of your loved ones are in Minnesota, let them know that they can make a difference in the campaign to know what’s in our food. Here are some things that you can do to support these bills. Email or call members of the Minnesota congress. Even if you don’t live in Minnesota, they need to know that this bill could be an important first step in labeling GMOs and boosting the health of our nation. Passing these bills will defiantly affect the rest of the United States, and they need to know that they could be part of history.

You can also support the Minnesota Right to Know campaign on Facebook or Twitter. They have up to date notifications on the bills, are organizing opportunities to speak with members of congress, and have volunteer information available for those who want to get involved. They also have a list of local businesses who support labeling genetically engineered products. By supporting these retailers, you vote with your dollars. Let companies in Minnesota know that the more likely they are to let you make informed shopping decisions, the more likely you are to support them.

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Allene Edwards

Allene Edwards

Allene Edwards first became interested in alternative medicine and holistic treatment modalities when she successfully used diet therapy to manage her children’s ADHD. Later when she became chronically ill with an auto-immune disease that multiple doctors could not identify, much less cure, she successfully treated both the symptoms and the cause through naturopathic treatment and nutrition.

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Allene Edwards
Allene Edwards

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