MoveOn Joins The Vermont Food Fight, Doubles The State’s Legal Defense

The non-profit organization MoveOn has joined the “Vermont Food Fight,” drastically increasing the state’s legal defense fund. Thanks to MoveOn, Vermont’s legal defense fund, which will be used to combat a lawsuit fighting Vermont’s new GMO food labeling legislation, has doubled.

“It’s a $53,000 donation that we got from an organization called MoveOn.org,” Sarah Clark, the deputy commissioner of Vermont’s Department of Finance & Management, told Vermont Watchdog about the non-profit’s financial contribution.

Clark added:

“They said they had been collecting on behalf of the fund from their members and interested parties and would be sending a donation. So that’s what we did receive this week, which essentially more than doubled the balance of the fund.”

Recently, the people of Vermont voiced their opposition against a lack of GMO labeling. Vermont passed the nation’s first stand-alone legislation that required manufacturer’s label genetically modified foods if they were included in the product. The Grocery Manufacturer’s Association decided to sue the people of Vermont. The association insists such a labeling law is illegal. It isn’t only the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association suing Vermont though. Four industry giants in all, including the Snack Food Association, have joined together to fight Vermont’s new law.

According to Vermont Public Radio, MoveOn simply sent a check. The donation was funded by MoveOn user donations. The organization didn’t provide Vermont with any details about individual donors who gave money to MoveOn. As a non-profit organization, MoveOn is not required to disclose the names of donors that participated in funding the donations to the Vermont Food Fight Fund.

According to Fox News, the four trade groups filed their lawsuit in the U.S. District Court. They named Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell and Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin in the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged that mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms “violates commercial free speech rights.”

Vermont had anticipated the lawsuit before the legislation was even signed and started the “Vermont Food Fight Fund.” Vermont’s Food Fight Fund has been supported by consumers across the nation. Ben & Jerry’s also joined Vermont’s Food Fight, but MoveOn’s support significantly increases the chances that Vermont will win their food fight. MoveOn’s donation to Vermont has helped the state’s Food Fight Fund make great strides towards its 1.5 million dollar goal.

[Photo via Food Fight Fund VT’s Facebook page]