Senate Floor - Courtesy: Senate CommunicationsBy ANITA HOFSCHNEIDER
Associated Press
HONOLULU (AP) - The agricultural industry has won a victory in the Hawaii Senate.
The Hawaii Senate committees on agriculture, consumer protection and health agreed Thursday to table a proposal that would have required labels on imported genetically modified food.
The lawmakers say they are worried about how labeling might hurt the island's food industry. They say they want more research to be done.
Groups of students, concerned mothers and Native Hawaiians entreated lawmakers to approve the bill Thursday, saying it is an issue of consumer choice.
But members of the agricultural industry say that advocates of the bill are spreading falsehoods and fear.
Several employees of Monsanto Co. testified that genetically modified food isn't harmful and that labeling would drive up the cost of food.
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