GMO FREE PA has formed to educate people about genetically engineered (GE) foods and to help them select food companies and products that are free of genetically modified organisms (GMO). The grassroots nonprofit, which publicizes the latest research and information on GMOs and advocates legislation to require mandatory labeling of GE ingredients, meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Ludington Library, in Bryn Mawr. Meetings focus on action steps that people can take, such as hosting movie screenings and discussions, tabling at events and writing letters to legislators and editors of news media.

GMO FREE PA is part of a national coalition of labeling advocates that includes 37 U.S. states and a national chapter in Canada. The coalition’s Right To Know GMO campaign, which will be rolled out over next 24 months, is intended to create a unified voice to speak out for GMO labeling across North America. GMO FREE PA launched their campaign just ahead of Senator Daylin Leach’s sponsorship of the GE-foods-labeling Senate Bill 653, which was introduced on March 12 and co-sponsored by 12 senators.

“Pennsylvania has a rich tradition of valuing our local farms and farmers and of supporting locally grown produce and value-added products,” says Karen Stark, co-founder of GMO FREE PA. “GMO labeling will only enhance this tradition by allowing consumers to make informed choices. Therefore, a successful labeling campaign will have significant benefits to the local economy and the health of the people here in Pennsylvania.”

5 S. Bryn Mawr Ave. For more information, email [email protected] or visit GmoFreePA.org or Facebook.com/GmoFreePA, July 2013.

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