Canadian rocker Neil Young joined Gov. Peter Shumlin to voice his support for Vermont’s GMO labeling law, which requires food produced using genetic engineering to say so on the packaging.
Shumlin praised Young’s announcement that he would make a $100,000 donation to the Vermont Food Fight Fund, established to defend Vermont’s law from opponents who wish to see it overturned in court. Young’s $100,000 contribution brings the contents of the fund up to $550,000, the release said.
“Support for the food fight fund is support for the consumer’s right to know. Huge corporations fighting to keep consumers in the dark are suing the state in a series of vigorous and costly lawsuits. The food fight fund will defend against the lawsuits and is the classic David and Goliath story of a small state versus the big food industry,” Shumlin said in a news release.
Act 120 has been challenged in court by the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association and other food industry trade groups, who say the bill is unconstitutional and a violation of their freedom of speech.
“The First Amendment dictates that when speech is involved, Vermont policymakers cannot merely act as a pass-through for the fads and controversies of the day. It must point to a truly ‘governmental’ interest, not just a political one,” the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association says on their website.
The organization also argues that GMO labeling laws are neither comprehensive enough to achieve their goal of greater transparency in the food industry, nor backed by scientific research.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Rock Star gives $100,000 to Vermont’s GMO defense fund
