Vermont adopting rules for GMO labelling

Apr 21, 2015

They are the first state to require GMO labels

As people are becoming more curious about GMOs and what it means as far as their food intake, Vermont is taking big steps in giving the public the information they want.

Attorney General Bill Sorrell officially adopted regulations to implement a state law that would require food produced with genetically modified ingredients to be properly labelled.

In 2014, Vermont became the first state to require products made with GMOs to clearly state so on their packaging. The legislation makes it illegal for products that use GMOs to be labelled as “natural” or “all natural”.

The law will officially come into effect on Friday, July 1^st, 2016 – giving plenty of time for manufacturers and retailers to prepare accordingly.

Those who support the legislation say consumers should have access to any information they want when it comes to their food purchases. People who are arguing against the bill say the residents of Vermont will feel the costs of the bill and that it could create other issues throughout the country.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association has filed a lawsuit, saying the requirement is unconstitutional.

Connecticut and Maine also have GMO labelling laws, however they wouldn’t come into effect until other states around them passed similar laws.

A February 2014 report done by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service showed American farmers planted approximately 169 million acres of genetically modified corn in 2013.

Join the discussion and tell us your thoughts about Vermont going forward with their GMO labelling legislation. As a farmer are you concerned that your operating costs could increase?

Products made with GMOs will have to say so on their labels

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.