FE 12: Fair and Healthy Food Act of 2017 (Statute)

[Representative simossad]

I want to assure you that I am not totally against genetically modified food and that I strongly believe that politics should always accept scientific results. However, I do also believe that every consumer has a right to know what's in the products they eat and how they have been produced. This is consumer protection that other countries do see as a standard right. We want a clear labeling so consumers are able to decide what they eat.

Family farms, the backbone of our rural areas, have been struggling for years and are forced to close. In the short run, GMOs might be a good perspective for the farmers due to lower costs. But in the long run, the monopoly position of companies, in particular Monsanto, will be a large threat for small farms. This is not an act against science, this is an act which will be the first step to limit the power of big business in the agriculture industry. The inhumane and unethical methods and strategies of Monsanto are well known. This act will not solve the problem, but as I stated earlier, it will be a first step, even though a small one.

[Representative simossad]

This is about regional producers. We already have the development towards an unhealthy dependence of small farms to Monsanto and their GMO products. This development came up due to large pressure on the farmers and dirty tricks by the corporation. By making the school a GMO-free-zone, and by encouraging the school to get their products from local farms, we create a necessity to break this development which is unhealthy for both the farmer and the consumer. But as I stated earlier, this is just a small step.

[Representative simossad]

And again. Small farmers are getting dependent on Monsanto. I don't know if you aware of the practices Monsanto uses to let is unhealthy monopoly grow even bigger. It puts high pressure on the farmers, it denies them any form of right to sue them through intricate contracts, it uses all forms of legal action to make the small farms working for their profit. These are facts you can easily research in less than five minutes.

By creating GMO-free zones, we make the agricultural market stopping the development of growing dependence on Monsanto. This bill will not solve the problems, but it will ease further steps against economical despotism.

[Representative simossad]

When exactly was this amendment adopted?

[Representative simossad]

When exactly was this amendment adopted?

After a 24 hour period of no objections to the amendment, the amendment becomes adopted. 

I mean, I would have interpreted simossad's comment as an objection, though I suppose he technically didn't say that he objected to it.

Yeah, that was the purpose of my statement.

[Representative simossad]

Nay. I know that my opinion won't find a majority, but I wanted to make this clear.

[Representative simossad]

Aye!

[Representative simossad]

Yay for starving school children by not offering GMO products! Whether you know it or not, almost every piece of food that can be offered has been genetically altered over the years.

It's disappointing to see that no one realizes that this bill goes way further than that, especially in section two. Read The bill, and then we can start to discuss.