CONTACT: Organic Consumers Association
Katherine Paul, 207.653.3090, katherine@organicconsumers.org
WASHINGTON D.C. -Aug. 23, 2012- The Organic Consumers
Association (OCA) today launched a national
petition on SignOn.org asking Michelle Obama to pressure
President Obama to honor his 2007 campaign promise to support
the labeling of genetically modified foods. The petition also
asks President Obama to endorse California's Proposition 37, a
Nov. 6 citizens' ballot initiative that would require mandatory
labeling of genetically engineered food ingredients.
"Michelle Obama is a champion of better nutrition in school
lunches and of ending childhood obesity," said Ronnie Cummins,
executive director of the OCA. "We believe that if she is truly
serious about children's health issues, she will support
labeling of genetically engineered foods. We urge her to put
pressure on the President to honor his campaign promise to
support GMO labeling and to officially endorse Prop 37."
In 2007, Candidate Obama
made this
statement to a crowd of voters in Iowa: 'We'll let folks
know whether their food has been genetically modified, because
Americans should know what they're buying."
National polls indicate that more than 90% of Americans want
GMOs labeled. And yet, President Obama has continued to green
light a flood of new GMOs, including genetically engineered
alfalfa, salmon, and 2,4 D "Agent Orange" corn. He has not
publicly supported any of the state or national efforts to
require mandatory GMO labeling, despite his campaign promise.
The FDA does no pre-market safety testing on genetically
engineered foods, instead relying on the word of Monsanto,
Dupont and other biotech companies that these foods are safe.
However, a growing number of studies link genetically modified
foods to a host of health issues, including obesity and
allergies. Even the American Medical Association has recently
warned that GMO foods need to be safety-tested before they are
placed on the market.
"Nearly 80% of all non-organic processed foods in the U.S.
contain GMOs," Cummins said. "Without labeling, it is very
difficult to keep these foods out of our - and our kids' -
diets. Worse yet, as long as consumers don't know when they are
eating genetically engineered foods, they can't trace health
issues, such as allergies, to the genetically engineered
ingredients in their food."
In a visit to an elementary school in January, in Alexandria,
Va.,
Mrs. Obama said: "We have a right to expect the food (our
kids) get at school is the same kind of food we want to serve at
our own kitchen tables."
"We encourage everyone who believes in the right to know what's
in their food, to sign this petition today," Cummins said. "If
Mrs. Obama hears from hundreds of thousands of voters on this
issue, we hope she'll be able to persuade the President to do
the right thing, and keep his word."
If Prop 37 passes in November, California will become the first
state in the country to require what nearly 50 other nations in
the world already require: labels on genetically engineered
foods.
The Organic Consumers
Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3
public interest organization campaigning for health, justice,
and sustainability. The Organic Consumers Fund is a 501(c)4
allied organization of the Organic Consumers Association,
focused on grassroots lobbying and legislative action.
Organic Consumers Association
- 6771 South Silver Hill Drive, Finland MN 55603 To subscribe or visit go
to:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/