Want to know what you're eating? Get ready for lawsuits.

• Author: Ruiz, Carmelo
• Position: THE PROGRESSIVE MEDIA PROJECT - Brief article

The states of Vermont and California have made major strides in defending consumers' right to know about the presence of genetically modified content in their food and the toxicity of agrochemicals. But industry wants to punish them for it.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association, one of the nation's largest trade lobbies, filed suit against the state of Vermont for requiring labels on genetically modified foods, alleging a new law is costly, misguided, unenforceable, lacks scientific basis, and runs afoul of the First Amendment and interstate commerce protections.

Monsanto is suing California for identifying Roundup herbicide as a carcinogen, following guidance from the World Health Organization. Monsanto alleges its Roundup is not a cancer risk to humans and that the WHO assessment is "inconsistent with the findings of regulatory bodies in the United States and around the world."

These...