Indiana Members of CFSAF Tell Congress of Urgent Need For Uniform, National Food Labeling Standard

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives of Indiana's agriculture and food sectors came to Capitol Hill Wednesday to urge passage by Congress of a uniform, national labeling standard for foods made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

With Vermont set to implement its own labeling standard next July and other states passing or considering their own labeling mandates, participants in the fly-in expressed the urgency to get a federal bill passed this fall in order to stave off the negative effects of a patchwork of differing state labeling laws.

A uniform, national food labeling standard will ensure that consumers in all 50 states have access to the same labeling information, bringing consistency and transparency to the marketplace.  Additionally, a GMO-free certification program will provide consumers who choose to purchase non-GMO items a reliable means of doing so.

The fly-in, organized by the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, featured men and women from 22 states who represent the entirety of the nation's food supply chain: farming groups, co-ops, seed producers and food companies.  In total, the group had more than 140 meetings on Capitol Hill Wednesday.

Participants in the fly-in expressed the urgent need for action by the Senate soon on the critical issue.

Indiana farmers rely on GMOs to help them grow more crops on less land while using fewer pesticides, less irrigation and limiting greenhouse gas emissions.  In 2014, 88 percent of the corn and 92 percent of the soybeans grown in Indiana were genetically modified.

"As a fourth generation farmer, my family takes great pride in growing the food that feeds American families," said Joe Steinkamp, a soybean producer from Evansville, IN and vice president of the American Soybean Association.  "No one understands the complexity of our nation's food supply chain better than farmers, and the last thing we need is a different set of food labeling laws in different states.  I enjoyed discussing this issue in my meetings on Wednesday and urged Congress to pass a uniform, consistent food labeling standard this year.  I sensed bipartisan support for a national standard; we need it to be passed this year."

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act in July by a significant 275-150 bipartisan vote, with 45 Democrats voting yes.  That legislation would ensure that consumers have access to the same science-based information regardless of which state they shop in instead of different state mandates.  It would also create a national GMO-free certification program that would provide consumers who prefer GMO-free foods a consistent means of identifying those products. 

The Coalition for Safe Affordable Food is committed to passing a reasonable, common sense labeling standard this fall and will continue to advocate for food labeling policies that keep prices down and provide reliable and consistent science-based information.

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SOURCE Coalition for Safe Affordable Food