Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, the Senate passed the GMO labeling agreement put forth by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, by a vote of 63 to 30. Following the cloture vote on Wednesday, which passed 65-32, the bill needed a simply majority to pass in the Senate.

NAWG supports the Senate’s actions in passing this agreement, which it sees as a necessary step forward in making safe and affordable food accessible to American consumers. The bill allows for a variety of labeling options that are meant to help inform consumers and will preempt the state-by-state patchwork that Vermont’s law alongside other potential future state laws could cause. It is crucial that technology which has been proven to be safe for human consumption is utilized to assure food security and access to sustainably-produced food.

“We are very pleased with the Senate’s progress on this bill,” said NAWG President Gordon Stoner. “This bill represents a great step in achieving public acceptance of a reliable, safe technology. It is imperative that we provide useful and clear information to consumers that will help them see the benefit of technologies that supply safe, sustainably-produced food to American consumers.”

NAWG applauds the Senate’s actions, and encourages the House to consider and pass the bill as soon as possible.