Voluntary GMO Labeling Bill in the Works, Source

Apr 02, 2014

Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo is expected to introduce legislation, which would layout the framework for a voluntary system for food containing genetically modified organisms (GMO) to be labeled.

News of Pompeo’s intensions was leaked by an industry source that allegedly has knowledge of the plan. This was first reported in The Hill, a Washington DC based publication.

The bill will reportedly be backed by a coalition of industry groups including the Grocery Manufactures Association. Interestingly, the legislation will include language which includes “probation against mandatory labeling.”

Under the proposed legislation, it would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to create a new voluntary GMO labeling system. If the bill is successful, it would require the FDA to put forward regulations within the next two years.

However, some consumer advocacy groups would prefer to see a mandatory labeling system in place, not a voluntary measure. These consumer groups argue that the public has the “right to know” what is in their food.

Pompeo is a member of the Kansas Republican Party.

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.