There’s a crack in the billion dollar armor of the biotech industry: Calls to label GMO foods are gaining ground on a state-by-state basis. Here in New York, a public hearing on July 30th gathered a standing room only audience to debate bill A3525A, introduced earlier this year by state assembly members Rosenthal and People-Stokes. According to the article, New York Steps into Fray of GMO Labeling by Ivan Pentchoukov in The Epoch Times, “If passed, the bill would require all foods in New York state that contain genetically modified ingredients to carry the words “Produced with Genetic Engineering” on the front or back packaging panels.”

That sounds good to us. The discussion about GMO labeling is about the right to know, and thus, the right to make an informed decision. As developers of local farmers markets for over 22 years, we believe that many people choose our markets because every time we set up a Down to Earth market manager’s tent, we might as well be setting up a sign that reads, “Verified: No GMO”. We tour all of our vendors farms and visit all of their kitchens. We recruit vendors who feel as passionately as we do about keeping our food as close to its natural state as possible. Our farmers grow with great care for the environment. Our food entrepreneurs work hard to find clean, transparent sources for their ingredients, often paying a little more for better quality. And by offering E.B.T. for SNAP Benefits at several of our markets, we work to ensure that everyone gets the opportunity to nourish ourselves with non GMO foods.

So, if shopping at a Down to Earth Farmers Market is essentially a “No GMO” label, how do we pass legislation to get GMO foods labeled? Well, it’s in the works in New York State, but the effort needs all voices behind it the coming months. Jeffrey Dinowitz, Chairman of the Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee in the NY State Assembly, has vowed to bring Bill A3525A to a vote when the legislative body reconvenes in early 2014. Between now and then, we’re sure to expect a very expensive marketing campaign. As Andrew Kimbrell of the Center for Food Safety says in this interview, “The biotech industry says consumers will be confused [with GMO labels]. No they won’t – they’ll be informed.”

One important note about GMO labeling: Connecticut recently passed a law requiring labels on GMO foods. Now they are encouraging their neighboring states to do the same. According to The Epoch Times article, “Connecticut’s labeling law, enacted earlier this year, can not take effect until four other states, including a border state such as New York, with a combined population of 20 million, pass a similar legislation. This provision was added because the state wants to be able to share the costs of what some see as an inevitable lawsuit by biotechnology corporations.”

Wow, really? When we first heard of the five-state requirement, we thought it was due to the shifting winds that carry seeds to nearby states. Then we heard that it was due to rules about interstate commerce. But could it truly be that the states anticipate a lawsuit and need their combined fighting power to take on this issue? Which begs the question, “If GMO foods are harmless, why are the companies who patent and produce them so fiercely opposed to labeling?”

We’d love to hear what you think on this issue. Zip us a reply to this email or post your response on our Facebook page. In the meantime, thank you for supporting non GMO foods at your Down to Earth Farmers Market this weekend.