Fighting For GMO Regulation
Regardless of any labeling legislation battles being fought in the Senate (and passed in the House a few months back), some groups are making a fullcourt press to reform the antiquated United States GMO regulation framework.
The Center for Food Safety, Friends of the Earth, Pesticide Action Network and Water Watch said Monday it had sent comments to President Obama and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking for mandatory, GE-specific regulation; protections from increased pesticide use; protections for non-GE farmers; mandatory safety testing; and mandatory labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.
Forget the Senate… we’re going straight to the President!
Why the push? Because the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology was created way back in 1986, a full decade before GE crops were mass-commercialized. The coalition is concerned that the almost 30 year-old framework “fails to protect consumers and the environment from the harmful effects of the pesticides used on GE crops.”
George Kimbrell, senior attorney at the Center for Food Safety, strongly criticized the U.S., particularly compared to other countries where more solid GMO regulations exist.
“In sharp contrast with much of the rest of the world, the U.S. has prioritized the rapid commercialization of genetically engineered organisms over core governmental duties, such as protection of public health, the environment and the interests of agriculture.”
Read more here: http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/260269-groups-call-on-obama-administration-to-overhaul-gmo-regs
