Washington—The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on March 1 approved the Biotechnology Labeling Solutions Bill, which would preempt state GMO food and seed labeling laws and create a voluntary national labeling standard administered through the USDA. The legislation now heads to the full Senate for consideration, and has the support of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), and more than 650 farmers, cooperatives, agribusinesses, processors, seed makers, food and feed manufacturers, lenders, and retailers. The Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, which includes ARA and ASTA as members, praised the bill. “Agriculture and food policy should be based on sound science, not fear tactics,” said ASTA President and CEO Andrew LaVigne. “Today’s vote was an important step in bringing consistency and transparency to the marketplace, while protecting consumers and the food and agriculture community from a costly and confusing patchwork of state labeling laws.” Ag Committee Chairman Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said the bill “sets national uniformity, based on science, for labeling food or seeds that are genetically engineered. This allows the value chain from farmer-to-processor-to-shipper-to-retailer-to-consumer to continue as the free market intended.” In February the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food launched a phone-a-thon to U.S. Senate offices in support of a uniform, national labeling standard for bioengineered foods. ARA sent an alert to members asking for their participation.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain