The cold weather and the rain could not keep the 16 activists from Chicago’s GeneWise, Greenpeace and the Organic Consumer’s Association from participating in the nation’s first labeling demonstration on Tuesday night, October 30th. The activists were demanding labeling on all genetically engineered ingredients, which are currently present in 70% of processed food items at the grocery store. Actions took place all over the country, in cities like San Francisco, LA, NYC, and Boston. GeneWise, Chicago’s grassroots anti-genetic engineering consumer advocacy group worked with Greenpeace and other local groups to stage this action. The concerned consumers stood on the busy corner of Clark and Diversy, holding two huge banners, passing out flyers and putting signatures on petitions and letters to policy makers. Most of the people passing by were focused on going home and getting out of the storm, however the demonstrators managed to get 80 signatures in less than two hours on form letters to Senators Durbin and Fitzgerald, to local congressional members and to Ann Veneman, the Secretary of Agriculture, including signatures onto petitions to the FDA. The banners and posters asked “Do You Know What’s in Your Food” and “Label Genetically Engineered Foods Now”. The group passed out flyers like the GE Fact Sheet, why labeling is necessary and how the government is trying to fast track legislation to make labeling of genetically engineered ingredients illegal all over the world. “It is proven that when enough consumers demand labeling, they get it…and when they get the food labeled, people stop buying it…” claims Sophia Suhu, a GeneWise member. “Labeling is just the one strategy to get genetic engineering out of our food supply.”

www.GeneWise.org
www.labelthis.org
www.thecampaign.org