Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, has vowed to sign a GMO labeling bill on May 8, saying on Twitter that residents deserve to know what’s in their food. The legislation will require certain products sold in the state to note that they “may be partially produced with genetic engineering.”The law, which would take effect in July 2016, could ripple through neighboring states such as Connecticut and Maine. They have passed GMO labeling laws that are triggered when other states jump first.

CAST joined with the National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (National C-FAR); the American Society of Plant Biologists; the Agronomy, Crop, and Soil Science Societies; and the Modern Agricultural Caucus to host two research seminars on the impacts of mandatory labeling for genetically modified food (new CAST report) and crop breeding as the root of American agriculture.

CAST joined with the National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (National C-FAR); the American Society of Plant Biologists; the Agronomy, Crop, and Soil Science Societies; and the Modern Agricultural Caucus to host two research seminars on the impacts of mandatory labeling for genetically modified food (new CAST report) and crop breeding as the root of American agriculture.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin plans to sign the nation's first GMO labeling bill into law this week. Sarah Harris spoke with Laurie Beyranevand, associate director of the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law School, about what the bill means for food producers and consumers.

Inserting the insect-resistant trait event DAS-81419-2 into soybeans to provide a novel insect resistance by soybean plants has received approval or “nonregulated status” from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A measure with strong sponsors in the state Legislature would require that foods containing genetically engineered material be labeled that way to alert consumers.

Say the term “genetically modified organism,” or GMO, and you’re bound to get some strong opinions. But what is it? And should we be afraid?

Two key federal agencies here are in the final stages of approving a new herbicide-resistant crop “system” that would constitute the second phase of genetically engineered agriculture, following an announcement this week.

Jack Norman knows firsthand that genetically modified corn and soybeans have increased yields and profits over the last 20 years, and he’s confident GMO wheat will have a similar impact. Norman, who has produced corn, soybeans, and wheat for half a century at Norman Farms in Howe, north of Dallas, also understands that he and other growers face a big challenge.

The Committee for a GMO Free Humboldt submitted more than 8,500 signatures to the County Elections Office last week on a petition to prohibit the cultivation or production of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the county. The initiative is called the Humboldt County Genetic Contamination Prevention Ordinance. It would prohibit “propagating, cultivating, raising or growing” GMOs, but would not prevent food that is made with genetically engineered ingredients from being sold in grocery stores.