Wouldn't you like to know what's in your food? We thought so, too!
Label GMOs activists were thwarted on the state-wide ballot last year from getting GMOs labelled in California by Monsanto and others when they pumped millions of dollars into the campaign. The issue was gaining ground and looked to get passed by voters before Agribusiness and others stepped in with a dis- and misinformation blitz that sank Proposition 37. The votes were there in LA County, but Monsanto, Dow, et al heavily targeted farmers in the Food Belt and scared the bejeezus out of them alluding to possible lawsuits and costly labeling. Never mind that all of Europe and many other countries are turning their backs on GMOs refusing to buy them from American agribusiness.
Next up: SB 1381, a bill considered in the State Senate. Again activists went to work lobbying Senators and shepherding the bill through various committees. When the bill hit the Senate floor, it was defeated by just three votes.
Okay, onward. Activists have now targeted LA as a possible GMO-free zone. By now, they're looking over their shoulders for guys in lab coats. 13-1374 would propose outlawing the sale and distribution of GMO crops and seeds in the city of Los Angeles. With so many community gardens springing up all over the city, the City Council seems receptive to the idea. Only one City Councilperson has expressed any reservations, but he has promised not to stand in the way of progress. "We're asking organizations to support our efforts and to contact their City Council member," said Dan McCrory, a volunteer with the Label GMOs organization. Activists are cautiously optimistic.
For more on the impact of GMOs, see 10 Bad Things about GMOs