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Now we know why. It seems that Gary Hirshberg, chairman of the board of Just Label It (JLI), along with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), are working behind the scenes to broker an (unacceptable) compromise. . .
Reliable sources tell us that the compromise Hirshberg, Vilsack and Stabenow are floating is one that would delay implementation of Vermont’s GMO labeling law for two years, while giving corporations the option to adopt QR barcode technology to label GMO ingredients.
Any compromise that lets food companies off the hook for mandatory, on-package labels, and preempts or delays Vermont’s law is unacceptable. Such a compromise would sound the death knell for the GMO labeling movement. A two-year delay in Vermont means Vermont’s law is as good as dead.
. . . .Roberts himself has suggested that any bill preempting Vermont’s law would likely not get Senate approval. . . But a bill just delaying Vermont’s law? That bill might pass, and be signed into law.
. . . .
We can only speculate as to why Hirshberg would be meeting with U.S. Senators to convince them to delay Vermont’s law and support a QR code scheme that the majority of consumers reject. Last year, OCA called out Hirshberg for hosting a $2700-a-plate fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. Clinton is a big fan of Monsanto and GMOs. . . .
Is Hirshberg cozying up to Vilsack and Clinton? Hoping for a plum assignment in a Clinton administration?
Read full, original post: Backstabbing in the GMO labeling movement?
