The Agricultural Appropriations Bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Tuesday. In the bill is a provision that protects genetically modified seeds from litigation regarding health risks. It has been named the “Monsanto Protection Act,” according to Salon.
Close to 250,000 people have signed a petition that opposes the provision and a rally of farmers protested outside the White House. The rally was organized by the Food Democracy Now network.
The International Business Times said, “It sets a terrible precedent. Though it will only remain in effect for six months until the government finds another way to fund its operations, the message it sends is that corporations can get around consumer safety protections if they get Congress on their side. Furthermore, it sets a precedent that suggests that court challenges are a privilege, not a right.”
Food Democracy Now released a statement about the Monsanto Protection Act that reads as follows, according to Inquisitr:
“The so-called ‘biotech rider’ was included in budget legislation that won final approval from the House, avoiding a shutdown of the federal government on March 27, when the current funding was set to expire. The provision was slipped into the legislation anonymously and explicitly grants the U.S. Department of Agriculture the authority to override a judicial ruling stopping the planting of a genetically modified crop.
“If leadership in Washington, D.C. can betray the public behind closed doors, it’s time that the American public gain the right to transparency about what they are eating and feeding their families every day.”