MA GMO Bill Sponsors, Fact Sheet and Supporters

More than 90% of Americans support labeling genetically modified foods (commonly referred to as “GMOs”). Yet while some grocery chains, like Whole Foods, have pledged to label their store-brand products, for the most part consumers are still left in the dark. Labeling GMOs shouldn’t be the exception—it should be the law.  Here are 5 reasons why:

1. The science is still out. There is no scientific consensus on the safety of genetically engineered foods, and documented environmental risks include the promotion of “superweeds, superbugs1.”

2. They’re designed for increased pesticide use. 99% of GMO crops are designed to withstand increasing applications of herbicides, to produce their own pesticide, or both. Chemicals herbicides like RoundUp have been linked to serious health impacts2.

3. Everyone else is doing it. Sixty four countries require GMO food labeling3.

4. There’s little independent testing. The federal government does not perform or require independent safety testing before genetically engineered foods wind up on store shelves4.

5. It’s a basic consumer right. We should know what’s in the food we eat, what we are feeding our families, and what kind of agriculture we’re supporting with our food purchases.

Genetic Engineering Transparency Food

and Seed Labeling Act, H.D. 369

Chief sponsors: Representatives Ellen Story and Todd Smola,

Senators Joan Lovely and Bruce Tarr

2/05/2015

Genetic Engineering Transparency Food and Seed Labeling Act

 

Labeling Requirements

Modeled after the GMO labeling bills passed in VT, CT, and ME, the Genetic Engineering Transparency Food and Seed Labeling Act will require all food offered for retail sale in Massachusetts that is entirely or partially produced with genetic engineering to be labeled clearly and conspicuously, “produced with genetic engineering” or “partially produced with genetic engineering.” If the product is not individually packaged this label will be put on the bin or shelf where it is sold.  Food produced with genetic engineering shall not be labeled as “natural,” “naturally grown,” “all natural,” “naturally made” or anything similar that would tend to mislead a consumer.

Seed that is produced with genetic engineering shall, on the seed container, bear the identity of the seed and relevant traits that cause it to be identified as genetically engineered.

In accordance with international GMO labeling standards, food derived from an animal which itself was not genetically engineered shall not be subject to this labeling requirement, nor shall any food which contains less than 0.9% genetically engineered ingredients (by total weight).

Due to separate labeling systems and requirements, alcoholic beverages, medical foods and foods intended for immediate consumption or sold in a restaurant shall not be subject to this labeling requirement.

Retailers Liability

Retailers shall not be liable for the failure to label processed foods as long as they are not the manufacturer of that food, or in the case of wholesale/unpackaged foods, as long as they did not knowingly and willfully fail to label the genetically engineered products.

Penalties and Enforcement

Regulations are to be promulgated by the food protection program of the department of public health and enforced by the department and local boards of health, with corrective actions issued by the Attorney General. Manufacturers are responsible for accurate labeling. Failure to comply with the law will be treated as a civil penalty, not to exceed $1000 per day, per each uniquely named, designated or marketed product. Citizens may similarly bring an action to court and enjoin the manufacturer, but may not be awarded monetary damages beyond legal costs. No action may be brought against a farmer unless that farmer is also the retailer or manufacturer.

This act shall take effect January 1, 2017, and contains no “trigger” clause, as 3 Northeast states have already passed GMO labeling laws.  Vermont’s bill is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2016 and Maine and Connecticut laws go into effect when a set number of states in the Northeast pass laws.

The bill is cosponsored by a bi-partisan, broad coalition of 154 lawmakers, more than 150 organizations and businesses, over two dozen grocers, more than 150 Massachusetts farmers and more than 40,000 residents who are calling for labeling.

Legislative Cosponsors

HD. 369 – Genetic Engineering Transparency Food and Seed Labeling Act

Chief sponsors: Rep. Ellen Story, Rep. Todd Smola, Sen. Joan Lovely, and Sen. Bruce Tarr

 

Sen. Mike Barrett

Sen. Harriette Chandler

Sen. Cynthia Creem

Sen. Viriato deMacedo

Sen. Sal DiDomenico

Sen. Kenneth Donnelly

Sen. Benjamin Downing

Sen. James B.Eldridge

Sen. Ryan Fattman

Sen. Jennifer Flanagan

Sen. Linda Forry

Sen. Anne Gobi

Sen. Robert Hedlund

Sen. Donald Humason

Sen. Patricia Jehlen

Sen. Brian Joyce

Sen. Thomas Kennedy

Sen. BarbaraL’Italien

Sen. Eric Lesser

Sen. Jason Lewis

Sen. Joan Lovely*

Sen. Thomas McGee

Sen. Mark Montigny

Sen. Michael Moore

Sen. Kathleen O’Connor Ives

Sen. Karen Spilka

Sen. Bruce Tarr*

Sen. James Welch

Sen. Daniel Wolf

Rep. Timothy Whelan

Rep. James Arciero

Rep. Brian Ashe

Rep. Cory Atkins

Rep. Bruce Ayers

Rep. Ruth Balser

Rep. Christine Barber

Rep. Jay Barrows

Rep. Jennifer Benson

Rep. Donald Berthiaume

Rep. Nicholas Boldyga

Rep. Paul Brodeur

Rep. Antonio Cabral

Rep. Kate Campanale

Rep. Gailanne Cariddi

Rep. Leah Cole

Rep. Edward Coppinger

Rep. Brendan Crighton

Rep. Claire Cronin

Rep. Daniel Cullinane

Rep. Mark Cusack

Rep. Josh Cutler

Rep. Angelo D’Emilia

Rep. Michael Day

Rep. Marjorie Decker

Rep. Marcos Devers

Rep. Geoff Diehl

Rep. Stephen DiNatale

Rep. Daniel Donahue

Rep. Paul Donato

Rep. Shawn Dooley

Rep. Michelle DuBois

Rep. Peter Durant

Rep. James Dwyer

Rep. Carolyn Dykema

Rep. Lori Ehrlich

Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier

Rep. Kimberly Ferguson

Rep. John Fernandes

Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante

Rep. Michael Finn

Rep. CaroleFiola

Rep. Gloria Fox

Rep. Paul Frost

Rep. William Galvin

Rep. Sean Garballey

Rep. Denise Garlick

Rep. Colleen Garry

Rep. Carmine Lawrence Gentile

Rep. Susan Gifford

Rep. Thomas Golden

Rep. Kenneth Gordon

Rep. Danielle Gregoire

Rep. Jonathan Hecht

Rep. Paul Heroux

Rep. Bradford Hill

Rep. Kate Hogan

Rep. Kevin Honan

Rep. Steven Howitt

Rep. Bradley Jones

Rep. Louis Kafka

Rep. Jay Kaufman

Rep. Mary Keefe

Rep. James Kelcourse

Rep. Kay Khan

Rep. Peter Kocot

Rep. Robert Koczera

Rep. Stephen Kulik

Rep. Kevin Kuros

Rep. John Lawn

Rep. David Linsky

Rep. Jay Livingstone

Rep. Marc Lombardo

Rep. Timothy Madden

Rep. John Mahoney

Rep. Elizabeth Malia

Rep. Brian Mannal

Rep. Paul Mark

Rep. Christopher Markey

Rep. Joseph McGonagle

Rep. Joseph McKenna

Rep. Paul McMurtry

Rep. James Miceli

Rep. Aaron Michlewitz

Rep. Leonard Mirra

Rep. Rady Mom

Rep. Frank Moran

Rep. Michael Moran

Rep. David Muradian

Rep. Mathew Muratore

Rep. David Nangle

Rep. Harold Naughton

Rep. Shaunna O’Connell

Rep. James O’Day

Rep. Sarah Peake

Rep. Alice Peisch

Rep. Thomas Petrolati

Rep. William Pignatelli

Rep. Elizabeth Poirier

Rep. Denise Provost

Rep. Angelo Puppolo

Rep. David Rogers

Rep. John Rogers

Rep. Dennis Rosa

Rep. Jeffrey Roy

Rep. Byron Rushing

Rep. Daniel Ryan

Rep. Tom Sannicandro

Rep. John Scibak

Rep. Frank Smizik

Rep. Todd Smola*

Rep. Theodore Speliotis

Rep. Thomas Stanley

Rep. Ellen Story*

Rep. Benjamin Swan

Rep. Walter Timilty

Rep. Timothy Toomey

Rep. Paul Tucker

Rep. Aaron Vega

Rep. John Velis

Rep. RoseLee Vincent

Rep. Chris Walsh

Rep. Susannah Whipps Lee

Rep. Donald Wong

Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik

Businesses, Farms and Organizations

Endorsing Mandatory GMO Labeling

(over 300 in total, see full list at marighttoknow.org/endorsements)

 

Advocacy Groups

Acropolis Boston (Cambridge)

Agricultural Hall (Jamaica Plain)

ALO Resources (Great Barrington)

Animal Advocates of Smith College

Attleboro Area Sustainability Action

Bees in Italy Photography Project

Belchertown Ag. Commission

Berkshire Enviro. Action Team

Berkshire Ultra Community Service

Chefs Collaborative (Boston)

Choose Wiser (North Easton)

City Growers (Dorchester/Roxbury)

Council for Responsible Genetics

earthitis (New Bedford)

edible Boston (Brookline)

edible South Shore (Kingston)

GMO Free Massachusetts (Chicopee)

Green City Growers (Somerville)

Grow Food Northampton

Guiding Star Grange #1 (Greenfield)

Healthy Appetites (Plymouth)

Hilltown Non-GMO Working Group

JP Forum (Jamaica Plain)

JP New Economy Transition (JP)

Kitchen Porch (Chilmark)

LEAH Advocacy Group (Needham)

Marion Institute (Marion)

Mass Animal Rights Coalition (Barre)

Massachusetts Nurses Association

Massachusetts Sierra Club (Boston)

Massachusetts State Grange

MASSPIRG (Boston)

New England Farmers Union

New Entry Sustainable

 Farming Project (Lowell)

NOFA/Mass (Barre)

North End Waterfront Health (BOS)

Seeds of Solidarity (Orange)

Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard

Slow Food Western Mass. (Sheffield)

Small Planet Institute (Cambridge)

Somerville Climate Action

Sustainable Westford’s Healthy Kids

The Green Dad (Halifax)

Westford Board of Health (Westford)

Worcester Roots Project

Businesses

Artisan Beverage Coop (Greenfield)

AURAw foods (Haverhill)

Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream (G’field)

Ben’s Bins (Leverett)

Carter & Stevens Farm Store (Barre)

CommonWealth Herbal Medicine

Compassionate Commerce LLC

Corso Distributors (Wrentham)

Dean’s Beans Coffee (Orange)

Delicious Living Nutrition (S’wich)

FedCo Seeds (Colrain)

The Flexible Farmer (Hadley)

Food For Thought Health (Arlington)

Good Health, Inc. (Quincy)

Green Path Garden Supply (N.boro)

Groton Wellness (Groton)

Jonathan’s Sprouts (Rochester)

Life Force Juice (Jamaica Plain)

Lighter (Somerville)

Mindful Universe (Amherst)

Neptune’s Harvest (Gloucester)

Perfectly Nourished (Georgetown)

Pioneer Valley Nutritional Therapy

Progressive Asset Mgmt (Wellesley)

Real Pickles (Greenfield)

Salem/North Shore Food Tours

Shire City Herbals (Pittsfield)

SLS Fitness (Lowell)

Steem Peanut Butter, Inc. (Gr.field)

TaylorMade Meals (Sudbury)

Traditional Health First (Turners Fls)

Western MA Food Processing Center

Restaurants

Baba Louie’s Pizza (Gt. Barrington)

Cafe Evolution (Florence)

Franklin Flatbreads (Franklin)

Hearty Eats (Shelburne Falls)

La Luncheonette Cafe (Shelb. Fls)

Life Alive (Lowell/Cambridge)

Martha’s Stone Soup (Plymouth)

Mocha Mayas Coffee (Shelburne Fls)

Picasso Restaurant & Bar (Barre)

Seeds & Songs Bakery (N. Weymth)

The Bohemiam Kitchen (Orange)

Vienna Restaurant & Inn (S.bridge)

Grocers

Assabet Village Co-op (Maynard)

Berkshire Co-op (G. Barrington)

Berkshire Organics (Dalton)

Better Life Whole Foods (Sp.field)

Boston Organics (Charlestown)

Cornucopia Foods (Northampton)

Cronig’s Market (Vineyard Haven)

Debra’s Natural Gourmet (Concord)

Down to Earth (New Bedford)

Green Fields Market (Greenfield)

Harvest Co-op Market (Boston)

How On Earth (Mattapoisett)

Living Earth Nat. Foods (Worcester)

McCusker’s Market (Shelburne Falls)

Natural Food Exchange (Reading)

Old Creamery Co-op (Cummington)

River Valley Market (Northampton)

South Shore Organics (Hanover)

TipTop Country Store (Brookfield)

Wild Oaks (Williamstown)

 

Farms, Dairies and CSAs

2 Friends Farm (Attleboro)

3 Little Birds Farm (Plymouth)

3 Maples Market (W. Stockbridge)

Adams Farm (Hadley)

Akin Bak Farm (Franklin)

Alexander Farm (Winchendon)

Allen Farm (Chilmark)

Arrowhead Farm (Pittsfield)

Astarte Farm (Hadley)

Bay End Farm (Bourne)

Bedford Blueberry Goat Farm

Beetlebung Farm (Chilmark)

Benedict Farm West (Brookfield)

Berkshire Bounty Farm (Southfield)

Blue Rose Gardens (Wellfleet)

Blue Star Farm (Belchertown )

Blue Vervain Farm (Plymouth)

Brix Bounty Farm (Dartmouth)

Bug Hill Farm (Ashfield)

Butterflies & Blueberries (Rutland)

Cape Cod Organic Farm (Barnstable)

Checkerberry Farm (Orleans)

ColMax Farm (Heath)

Coop’s Microcreamery (Watertown)

Cooper Shop Farm (Buckland)

Coyote Hill Farm (Bernardston)

Crimson and Clover Farm (Florence)

Crooked Farm (Orleans)

Dancing To to Farm (Carlisle)

Dismas Family Farm (Oakham)

Dragonfly Farm(Harvard)

Earthling Farm (Southbridge)

Edgewood Farm (Warwick)

EIEIO Farm (Leverett)

Equinox farm (Sheffield)

Fern Brook Farm (Lakeville)

First Light Farm (Hamilton)

First Root Farm (Concord)

Forgotten Acres (Hawley)

Foxtown Farm (Montague)

Front Yard Farm (Ware)

Gardens by the Sea (West Harwich)

Gibbet Hill Farm (Groton)

Golden Oak Farm (Hatfield)

Golden Rule Farm (Plymouth)

Good Bunch Farm (Conway)

Good Roots Farm (Lincoln)

Grace Farm (Plainfield)

Gray Farm (Ashfield)

Green Meadows Farm S. (Hamilton)

Green Tractor Farm (Milton)

H & H Farm (Wellfleet)

Hana’s Honey (Westport)

Harmony Farm (Medfield)

Harms Family Farm (Brookfield)

Headwater Cider (Hawley)

Heart Beets Farm (Berkley)

Heavens Harvest Farm (N. Braintree)

Herbert Honey (Oxford)

Heritage Fields Farm (Orange)

Higher Ground Farm (Boston)

Holly Hill Farm (Cohasset)

Hopestill Farm (Sherborn)

Hydeaway Farms (Winchendon)

Indian Line Farm (Great Barrington)

Jewel Hill Farm (Ashby)

Jones Farm (Westford)

Justamere Tree Farm (Worthington)

Kearney Goat Cottage Farm (W.port)

Keller Farm (Wendell)

Kettle Pond Farm (Berkley)

Kimball Farm (Haverhill)

Kirk Farm (Groton)

Ladybug Farm (Hubbardston)

Langwater Farm (North Easton)

Left Field Farm (Middlefield)

Lexington Community Farm

Liberty Farm (Chelmsford)

Lindentree Farm (Lincoln)

Long Life Farm (Hopkinton)

Lucky Field Organics (Rochester)

Manda Farm (Plainfield)

Many Hands Organic Farm (Barre)

Marlborough Street Farm (Sp.field)

Matt’s Organic Gardens (Dennis Port)

Meadow Marsh Farm (Marshfield)

Medway Community Farm

Mermaid Farm (Chilmark)

Michael s Farm (Ashby)

Middle Earth Farm (Amesbury)

Mill City Grows (Lowell)

Mill River Farm (New Marlborough)

Moon In The Pond Farm (Sheffield)

Natural Awakenings Boston

Natural Garden (Granby)

Natural Roots Farm (Conway)

Ness Farm (Bolton)

New England Wild Edibles (Colrain)

New Heritage Farm (Wrentham)

New Lands Farm (Worcester)

NMH School Farm (Mt. Hermon)

Old Field Farm (Leverett)

One Acre Farm (Bolton)

Osgood Farm (Amesbury)

Pemble Farm (Pittsfield)

Peet’s Farm (Dartmouth)

Pete &Jen’s Backyard Birds (Sdbury)

Plough & Stars Project (Medford)

Powisset Farm (Dover)

Puddingstone Organics (Middleboro)

Quabbin Gate Farm(Petersham)

Quintessential Gardens (Westport)

Rawson Brook Farm (Monterey)

Red Fire Farm (Granby, Montague)

Redberry Farm (Eastham)

Rich Fields Organics (Warwick)

Robinson Farm (Hardwick)

Round Lot Farm LLC (Medfield)

Round The Bend Farm (Dartmouth)

Ruggles Rose Farm (Hardwick)

Scantic Valley (E. Longmeadow)

Second Hand Farm (Gt. Barrington)

Seeds of Solidarity Farm (Orange)

Sheep’s End Farm (Lincoln)

Simple Gifts Farm (North Amherst)

Skinny Dip Farm (Westport)

Sky View Farm (Sheffield)

Skye Farm (Northfield)

Slow Tractor Farm (Hadley)

Spruce Pond Creamery (Franklin)

Stearns Farm CSA (Framingham)

Summer Dreams Farm (Marshfield)

Summit Farm (Plainfield)

Sunflower Sheep Farm (Carlisle)

Sweet Autumn Farm (Carlisle)

Sweet Morning Farm (Leyden)

Sweetwater Farm (Petersham)

Tending the Wild CSA (Belchertown)

The Adzi Farm (Belchertown)

The Herb Hill Microdairy (Andover)

The Kitchen Garden (Orleans)

The Little White Goat Dairy (Orange)

Turkey Hill Brook Farm (Spencer)

Uncle Edgar’s Farm (Orleans)

Vanguarden CSA (Dover)

Wake Robin Botanicals (Cheshire)

Walker Farm New (Braintree)

Weeweeder Farm (Nantucket)

Wellness Paths… (Yarmouth)

Wild Browse Farm (Wendell)

Wilder Brook Botanicals (Charlemnt)

Wolfe Spring Farm (Sheffield)