Oregon Ballot Initiative Campaign to Require Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods Kicks Off

Online, May 1, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Grassroots group GMO Free Oregon has launched it's campaign to put an initiative on the ballot this November that would require food containing genetically engineered ingredients to be clearly labeled as such. The group will need to collect the signatures of 100,000 registered Oregon voters to get the initiative placed on the ballot this November.

At a launch event this Thursday, May 3rd, GMO Free Oregon supporters will discuss the issues of consumer food choice, the economic hazards of GM crops to farmers, and the human and environmental health risks of GM plants and animals. The discussions will begin the tasks of education, building awareness, and growing momentum leading into June when the official signature gathering will be able to begin.

At the consumer level, requiring foods that contain genetically modified ingredients to be labeled is viewed by the group as a necessary step to keeping the consumer informed about what they eat and affording them the opportunity to make decisions on their own if they want to avoid GMOs in their food.

Currently Oregon consumers have no consistent means, other than buying certified organic, to know whether the food they buy contains genetically modified ingredients or not. Genetically modified foods were first introduced to the US food supply in 1996 with no labeling requirements to differentiate them. It's now estimated that nearly 80% of processed foods in the United States contain genetically modified ingredients.

Genetically modified foods have come under increasing scientific scrutiny. Chemicals used in farming the modified food crops have been associated with the collapse in the world bee population. Recent medical reports have been published pointing to health concerns associated with GM food and farming practices used in growing GM crops. In one study, the herbicide Round-up, which genetically modified food crops are commonly engineered to withstand, was found in very high concentrations in the urine of every person included in the test. Glyphosate (Round-up) is being linked to liver and kidney damage, infertility, and birth defects. The Insecticide Bt, which some crops like corn and cotton are engineered to produce within the plant itself, was initially claimed to be destroyed by the human digestive system, but studies have found Bt, not only in the blood stream, but that it also passes through the placental wall to fetuses.

The need for labeling is recognized around the world as 15 nations in the European Union, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Russia and China, all have laws requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods. Yet in the United States, where polls overwhelming show American's want labeling, the FDA has not acted.

Oregonians are not alone in the movement to bring GMO labeling to the United States. The ballot initiative mirrors efforts underway in California where signature gathering has just wrapped up, submitting some 800,000+ signatures to place a labeling initiative on their ballot this coming November. Additionally, legislatures in 14 states have considered bills mandating labeling for genetically modified foods, including Oregon and Washington.

GMO Free Oregon's launch event will be a chance for the public to learn about the initiative, hear from members of the organization, learn about further GMO related efforts taking place in the state, and partake in a screening of Deborah Koons Garcia's groundbreaking film "The Future of Food". Featured speakers scheduled to talk at the event include farmer Chris Hardy from GMO Free Jackson County , farmer Clint Lindsey from GMO Free Benton County, Mary Nichols from Positive Food Inc, Miguel Robles From Biosafety Alliance, the labeling initiative's chief petitioner Scott Bates, and a special guest appearance from an internationally renowned activist at the forefront of the food sovereignty and non-GMO movements. The launch event will take place Thursday May 3rd, 4pm, at the The First Unitarian Church in Portland Oregon, 1211 SW Main Street.