Rand Paul Accused of Being in Monsanto’s Pockets


This comes in the wake of a bill introduced by Mike Pompeo (R-Kan) that would require food producers to label their foods so people know what they’re feeding their children and families. Why Libertarians are surprised at Paul’s stance is a bit a confusing, his explanation for it is that it would drive up food costs.

Meanwhile, it sounds as though Rand Paul is getting his “facts” straight from the mouth of Monsanto. Consumers Union reported that the costs reported for GMO labeling are wildly overestimated:

The Lesser study was funded by the Council of Biotechnology Information and is their intellectual property. The Council consists of major biotechnology companies Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, BASF, Bayer, and Dow, which are all in opposition to A3525 and have actively lobbied against labeling bills across the country.

 Consumers Union found that this industry-funded study is based on faulty assumptions and that A3525 will not lead to any appreciable increase in the price of food bought by consumers.

 Why then would Rand Paul say, “The labeling requirements are enormously expensive and just add to the cost of foods. Somebody who is poor can’t buy as much food because of requiring labels to be stuck on things.”

 Is it because Rand Paul has been in the pockets of Monsanto all along? In 2012, Paul voted against a GMO labeling amendment, put forth by Bernie Sanders, that would “permit States to require that any food, beverage, or other edible product offered for sale have a label on indicating that the food, beverage, or other edible product contains a genetically engineered ingredient.” In response to a question about why he voted down the GMO labeling amendment, Paul said, “So while there is evidence we should be concerned about GMOs, we should also be careful not to lose our constitutional perspective simply because the end result is one we may desire.”

 If Rand Paul were that concerned about the Constitution, then he would presumably come out loud and clear against the DARK Act, which would limit states’ rights to pass laws on whether or not they want GMO labeling. The People of Vermont have already decided that they are for GMO labeling, and the DARK Act would prevent them from moving forward. Rand Paul’s persistent waffling on this issue is clearly in contradiction of his reported views on states’ rights.

Do Americans have the right to know what’s in their food? Yes, they do. Will GMO labeling really change what types of food they purchase? Who knows. If you’ve been to a grocery store that specializes in organic foods, you know how expensive it is. Whether or not Rand Paul is in the pockets of Monsanto shouldn’t be important in the greater scheme of things. This is a decision that families have to make independently of politics.

Source: naturalnews.com

 



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