Any Proposed GMO Labeling Bill Not Perfect; Trade Agreement Seen in Positive Light by US Adults

Michigan Democrat and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow told consumer groups last week that any proposed GMO labeling bill will not be perfect. Groups such as Just Label It and the Center for Food Safety have pushed for a nationwide, mandatory GMO labeling system, such as the one set to take effect in Vermont in July. Stabenow has recently sent GMO labeling language to Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Pat Roberts, noting that her stance has not changed.\Chairman Roberts prefers a voluntary labeling measure. However, his bill failed in the Senate last month.

More than half of U.S. adults polled for a recent PEW study indicated they viewed trade agreements between the United States and other countries positively. The U.S. Grains Council says the study results are good news for agriculture, which relies on global sales to help promote profitability. The PEW study found that 51 percent of adults included in the poll thought trade agreements were positive for the United States. Since the end of World War II, the United States has negotiated agreements with 20 countries, which is an important but small collection when compared to the more than 260 trade agreements in place around the world.