MEASURE 92
The Chronicle voted by a 4-3 margin to oppose Measure 92, which requires labelling of GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) foods in Oregon.
The majority of the board believed all consumers have a right to know what is in their food. However, we support having the issue of GMOs addressed at the federal level so rules are uniformly applied.
We did not want the playing field to be uneven for Oregon farmers who could face greater regulation and costs than their peers.
Although several smaller agriculture groups have come out in favor of this ballot initiative, which is strongly supported by environmental organizations and labor unions, larger groups representing thousands of Oregon farmers are opposed.
The Oregon Farm Bureau, with 7,500 members, warns that the labelling system under M92 is flawed and exempts two-thirds of the foods sold in the state, including school cafeteria lunches, meat, milk and eggs from GMO-fed animals.
To avoid potential lawsuits over mislabeling of foods, OFB contends that farmers will have to track every step of production, which is going to create more red tape and bookkeeping snarls.
There are far fewer farmers involved in crop and livestock production today than there were in the 1960s, and yet the world’s population continues to grow.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that every American farmer now feeds about 150 people around the globe.
We, as a nation, need to enact rules that are applied fairly and don’t make it more difficult for our family farmers to stay in business.
It is unfair to hold Oregon’s food products to a standard that no other state must meet.
