Bernie Sanders: The Only US Presidential Candidate Supporting GMO Labeling

Posted on Feb 11 2016 - 11:58pm by Sustainable Pulse

Bernie Sanders is the only U.S. Presidential candidate who has come out strongly in support of GMO labeling. For this reason Sustainable Pulse has collected a few of his quotes:

Bernie Sanders Quotes on GMO Labeling

“Unlike people in the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, China, Russia, New Zealand and other countries where labels are required, Americans don’t know if the food they eat has been genetically modified. People have a right to know what they are eating…”

“I think all over this country, people want to know the quality of the food they’re eating and what they’re giving to their kids is good quality. We just don’t know all that much about genetically modified food. . .”

“Monsanto and other companies are saying states can’t do it [label GMOs]. It is a federal prerogative. My amendment said if California, Vermont, Connecticut, other states want to go forward, they should have that right.”

“An overwhelming majority of Americans favor GMO labeling but virtually all of the major biotech and food corporations in the country oppose it…The people of Vermont and the people of America have a right to know what’s in the food that they eat.”

Bernie Sanders on Agriculture:

Source: berniesanders.com/issues/improving-the-rural-economy/

As someone who has represented a rural state for more than 24 years, improving the lives of rural Americans is a top priority for Senator Sanders.

Family farms and ranches are the backbone of rural America and the U.S. economy.  Farmers are also among our nation’s foremost stewards of our lands and water.

Throughout his career, Senator Sanders has successfully fought for innovative rural economic development initiatives, including investments in farm-to-school and farm-to-table initiatives; agri-tourism programs; school gardens; large scale bio-mass fired electric plants; shared agricultural processing and storage facilities; and anaerobic digesters to process cow manure into methane gas.

Senator Sanders understands that agriculture programs need to be counter-cyclical to assure market-derived commodity income at levels that advance and sustain family-scale farming.

Senator Sanders will fight for farm policies that will foster the entry of a new generation of owner-operators.  He will not back away from land stewardship standards that include the commonwealth of clean water for all.

As president, Senator Sanders will adopt policies that will:

  • Make sure that family farmers and rural economies thrive;
  • Expand support for young and beginning farmers;
  • Produce an abundant and nutritious food supply;
  • Establish an on-going regeneration of our soils; and
  • Enlist farmers as partners in promoting conservation and stewardship to keep our air and water clean and to combat climate change.

FAMILY FARMS INSTEAD OF FACTORY FARMS

Senator Sanders believes that we need more family farms, not more factory farms.

It is unacceptable that just four corporations control 82% of the nation’s beef cattle market, 85% of soybean processing, and 63% of pork processing.  It is unacceptable that there are over 300,000 fewer farmers than there were 20 years ago.

It is unacceptable that the top 10% of farms collect 75% of farm subsidies, while the bottom 62% do not receive any subsidies.  We have to adopt policies that will turn this around.

SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE

In 1966, farmers received 40 cents for every dollar Americans spent on food. Today, they only receive 16 cents on the dollar.

As President, Senator Sanders will reverse this trend by:

  1. Fighting for America’s small and mid-sized farms. Abraham Lincoln called the United States Department of Agriculture the “People’s Department” and Senator Sanders will ensure that the agency lives up to this name by expanding its services for new and underserved farmers.
  2. Encouraging the growth of regional food systems. Farmers throughout the country are boosting their bottom line and reinvigorating their communities by selling directly to local consumers, institutions, and restaurants. Senator Sanders will invest in this movement, helping Americans support local farms.
  3. Reversing trade policies like NAFTA that have flooded the American market with agricultural goods produced in countries with less stringent environmental, labor, and safety regulations.
  4. Enforcing our country’s antitrust laws against large agribusiness and food corporations. A few large companies dominate many agricultural industries, allowing them to force unfair prices on farmers. Senator Sanders will stand up to these corporations and fight to ensure that farmers receive fair prices.
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Sustainable Pulse is a global news outlet covering sustainable agriculture, GMOs and pesticides.

4 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. David R.(Canada) February 18, 2016 at 05:47 - Reply

    Just before the Nov.2008 election Obama said that if he was elected he would pass and enforce mandatory GMO labelling.
    Look how far that went!
    I trust NO politician who just says something merely to get elected. Sanders is not on record as far as I know, of ever speaking out in favour of GMO labelling until now.
    Consequently I don’t believe anything he says on the subject.

  2. Dave Schwab February 19, 2016 at 22:56 - Reply

    Dr. Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate, also supports GMO labeling, so Sanders isn’t the only one.

    Take a look at www.jill2016.com/ to learn more about Jill Stein and where she stands.

  3. Alan Grant February 20, 2016 at 05:44 - Reply

    David. You say “as far as I know”. And you imply that all the above quotes re GM food (and crops, in effect) have been made in recent months. I really don’t know, and it would have been good if they had been dated.

    Obama, like Blair, turned out to be a complete phony, just another fascist gangster doing the bidding of his fascist gangster corporate chums, as in the TTP and the TTIP, for example, but I think Bernie Sanders really is the real McCoy. Why would the Establishment/corporate media have given him next-to-no coverage up until recently, and now be attacking and vilifying and ridiculing and belittling him now that he’s doing well in the primaries?

  4. Anne February 29, 2016 at 01:04 - Reply

    Bernie is not the only candidate in favor of GMO labeling. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson supports the public’s right to know. So does the Green Party candidate. Maybe it is time for people to start taking alternative parties seriously.

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