A selection of organic dairies in the US, including Aurora Organic Dairy, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Farm and White Wave, have been asked by Ronnie Cummins, national director of the Organic Consumers Association, to ‘take a stand for consumers by immediately withdrawing your company’s membership from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and/or the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).’

The reason is because GMA, joined by the IDFA, wants the US Congress and the federal courts to deny states the basic right to pass GMO labeling laws, the ICA says. Recently, the US state of Vermont passed a law mandating that genetically engineered foods be labeled. “In a direct hit on consumers’ rights, and on the democratic process, the GMA and the IDFA have filed suit against Vermont to overturn the law,” Cummins says. “In addition, both the GMA and the IDFA are lobbying for an outrageous anti-consumer bill, introduced in April (2014) in Congress, that would preempt all state GMO labeling laws, and make it legal to use the word ‘natural’ on products that contain GMOs. The bill is deceptively called the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2014.”

Continued membership of GMA and the IDFA means that the companies are financially supporting attacks ‘on states’ rights to pass laws intended to protect the health of citizens and their environment, and on consumers’ right to know if their food contains GMOs.”