Whether or not Washington state’s genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling Initiative 522 passes on Nov. 5, it will have broad implications for the labeling of GMO products as well as the non-GMO supply chain.  
 
In response, the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), Salt Lake City, UT, an international alliance of forward-looking companies dedicated to providing consumers with natural health products of superior quality, benefit and reliability, will host a timely, post-election update on upcoming market challenges. This 90-minute webinar, “From Washington to Washington: The Mandate for Non-GMO Labeling,” takes place Thursday, Nov. 7, from 10 – 11:30 a.m. MT.
 
“The GMO issue is becoming the most expensive, contentious and important debate in the history of the natural products industry,” said Loren Israelsen, UNPA president, who will moderate the webinar and discuss litigation issues and the specter of national GMO-labeling legislation. “This webinar will address a number of the important post-I522 questions that will be top of mind for the natural products industry as consumer demand for labeling and supply chain challenges continue to grow.”
 
Webinar topics include:
 

• A report from the front lines of the I522 labeling battle
• Next steps for state and federal labeling laws
• The recent spate of “all-natural” GMO labeling lawsuits and what they mean
• An update on the status of the non-GMO supply chain and certification programs
• Where organic fits in the non-GMO discussion
• What are the marketplace challenges of going non-GMO?
• How dietary supplement manufacturers can ensure reliable non-GMO ingredient supply

 
Presenters include leading experts in the non-GMO debate: Rachel Padgett of Washington State Initiative Campaign Yes on 522; Gary Hirshberg, chair of Stonyfield Farm and the Just Label It, We Have the Right to Know campaign; Courtney Pineau of the The Non-GMO Project; and Ashish R. Talati of Amin Talati.
 
Cost of the webinar is $95 for UNPA members and $149 for non-members. For more information, including complete program notes and to register, visit the UNPA website.
 
Not up to speed on the GMO issue? The complete proceedings from UNPA’s May 2013 seminar, “The Non GMO-Future: How to Source, Test, Label, and Market Food and Supplement Ingredients” are now available as audio files with synchronized PowerPoint presentations. Until Nov. 15, a 20% discount is available using the code “upro20”.  Purchase the whole set of eight sessions or individual sessions at the UNPA online store.