Interview with Carey Gillam, a food and agriculture reporter for Reuters.
Across the globe, 64 countries have enacted mandatory labeling laws for GMO foods. Major food makers like Coca-Cola and biotech giants like Monstanto and DuPont are determined to stop the passage of such laws in the US — so much so that they’ve spent more than $27 million in the first six months of this year on GMO-related lobbying. That’s roughly three times their spending in all of 2013.
The current drive is coming from Vermont, according to Gillam, who’s been following GMOs for 16 years, almost since their inception. In May, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed a law that requires that GMO foods sold in the state be labeled. In early June, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, a trade group that represents Monsanto, General Mills, Coca-Cola, and other food companies, filed a lawsuit arguing that the measure is unconstitutional.
“That litigation is ongoing, and who knows how long that will take,” Gillam says. “Vermont is trying to raise money to defend the law and has raised over $1 million so far. But it looks like a long battle ahead.”
Read the full, original article: GMO lobbying is a booming business as labeling laws increase
