ALERTS OF THE WEEK

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In 2011, we got mad

For the movement against genetic engineering in agriculture, 2011 was one of the worst years since 1994 when Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (aka rBGH or rBST) became the first GMO approved for use in food production.

Although President Obama promised to label genetically engineered foods while he was running for president, he has instead stacked his administration with biotech boosters who’ve gone on to approve GMO sweet corn, ethanol corn, alfalfa, sugar beets, and lawn grass’€•all without labels to protect our right to know or regulations to prevent contamination of organic. Any day now, the FDA is expected to approve the first genetically engineered food animal, a Frankenfish made from salmon and eelpout genes.

And, then we got organized

Shock and anger coalesced into resistance when volunteer activists organized the first wave of protests, the Rallies for the Right to Know on March 26. Things kept building through October (Non-GMO Month) with hundreds of protests, including the Millions Against Monsanto campaign’s World Food Day events and the Right2Know March from New York to D.C. The message of the Millions Against Monsanto campaign was taken up by the Occupy Wall St. movement at hundreds of Occupy Together actions nationwide, as an example of the harm done to democracy, health, and sustainability when lobbyists make campaign contributions in exchange for deregulation and corporate welfare.

In 2012, we’re in it to win it!

The vast majority of U.S. consumers would boycott GMO-tainted food and buy organic and non-GMO food if they knew that most non-organic processed foods’€•even so-called "natural" foods’€•contain genetically engineered ingredients.
The vast majority of U.S. Consumers would vote for mandatory labeling of GMOs if the issue was on the ballot.

In California, we can get mandatory GMO food labeling on the ballot. Hundreds have already volunteered. You can help make it happen!

Click here to volunteer in California

Michigan also has a campaign to get GMO labeling on the ballot

16 states have legislation to label genetically engineered food

If you’re in one of the states with GMO legislation on the table, we need your help to connect with the legislative sponsors to develop a strategy to get these bills passed in 2012. Click here to volunteer in your state.

In 2012, we’ll be voting for President and Congress, as well as state and local legislators. We need to let every candidate know we’re not casting our votes until we know where they stand on GMO labels and that we won’t support elected officials who break their promises!

The Republican Presidential Primary Race is already in full swing. Find out what the candidates have to say about genetic engineering.