Sacramento - The California Right to Know Act – known as the Yes on 37 Right to Know Campaign – garnered three major endorsements yesterday, including the 2.1 million member strong California Labor Federation, as well as two high ranking leaders in their respective legislative bodies: Senator Barbara Boxer and State Senator Mark Leno.
If approved by voters in November, Proposition 37 would require labeling of genetically engineered foods, which are plant or animal products that have had their DNA artificially altered by genes from other plants, animals, viruses, or bacteria in ways that cannot occur in nature.
“California consumers have the right to know if their food has been genetically engineered,” Senator Boxer said. “This basic information should be available for consumers on the label the way it is in nearly 50 other countries around the world.”
"Working people deserve the right to know what is in the food we are feeding our families," said Steve Smith, Communications Director for the California Labor Federation. "Prop 37 is a commonsense measure that ensures our families are able to make educated choices about the food we purchase. We’re proud to join with millions of Californians in supporting the right to know what’s in our food.”
”The people of California want to know what's in their food,” said State Senator Mark Leno. “More than half the people in the world live in countries that already require labeling of genetically engineered foods. Californians deserve to have this information too.”
To date, over 1,000 community leaders have endorsed the Yes on 37 Right to Know initiative including a broad range of consumer, farm, environmental, and health advocates, including: the Consumer Federation of America, the United Farm Workers, California Certified Organic Farmers, Public Citizen, Organic
Consumers Association, the California League of Conservation Voters, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Center for Food Safety, and the Sierra Club.
Polls show overwhelming bipartisan support for labeling genetically engineered foods: 89% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats want genetically altered foods to be labeled, according to recent polls.
The Right to Know campaign tapped into a deep grassroots passion for knowing what’s in their food when they relied on a statewide network of thousands of volunteers to help generate over a million signatures in just 10 weeks, easily qualifying for the November ballot.
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