Subject: RE: Happy Holidays
From: Dennis Cheng <[email-masked]>
To: John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>
Cc: Sara Latham <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 2015 12:04:09 -0500

I think it was from the Boulder event on the same day – transcript below.
I’m also double checking the audio from the Denver event to make sure it
wasn’t asked there.

QUESTION: We live arguably in the national food capital of America and I
would just like to hear your take on why it's so hard to label foods with
GMO's, why it's so hard to take on Monsanto.

HILLARY CLINTON: Well it's not only Monsanto. It is a much bigger set of
interest on the other side of that debate. In part because most of the big
agricultural interests, who actually produce the corn, the soybeans, the
wheat, are using genetically modified seeds. And they will argue that they
are doing it to get a better yield. They are doing it to avoid destruction
by pests. They are doing it because it makes sense to do so, especially if
there's drought conditions and the like.

So the actual work may be done by other companies, like Monsanto, but the
real political battle is led by the big farming interest who fear this.
That you've got down the food line, corn that's been genetically modified
that is in something. And they will say that right now there is hardly any
corn produced in the United States, Canada, many other places, that is not
genetically modified. Therefore, they don't want it labeled, because they
think it's not a fair assessment of the quality of their product.

Here's what the Department of Agriculture is doing, and I support this
first step. They are moving toward voluntary labeling, because it's really
important that food that is sort of more immediately within the eye of the
consumer, that has been modified, be so labeled. The corn issue, the wheat
issue, a lot of that all should be put, in my view, online, in bar codes so
that people can find that information out.

The other thing I want to avoid is the Congress preempting the states from
being able to label. Because there is a big move by all these interests to
try to make that happen. So I think if we can get the voluntary labeling,
if we can prevent the preemption, and then we can move forward. I agree
with that. I support that. It sounds like Jared does.

But I want to say one word. I'll put on a hat that I don't wear, which is a
hat of the agricultural interests, and they will say, "We have developed
drought resistant seed. It would be a lifesaver. It would create produce
and grains that could be grown in Africa. And we can't get them to those
farmers because the Europeans, who still have a big influence because of
their colonial relationships, are so against GMO. But the traditional
grains are no longer growable. The soil the drought conditions are not
conducive. So people are going to starve. And with climate change creating
more decertification and more drought, it's going to become a bigger and
bigger problem."

So this whole issue, there are some equities on the other side that we have
to sort through as well. So that's why I [inaudible] for voluntary labeling.

*From:* John Podesta [mailto:[email-masked]]
*Sent:* Tuesday, December 22, 2015 3:46 PM
*To:* Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>; Dennis Cheng <
[email-masked]>
*Subject:* Fwd: Happy Holidays

do we have a transcript of that?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: *Gary HIRSHBERG* <[email-masked]>
Date: Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Subject: Happy Holidays
To: John Podesta <[email-masked]>

John, I finally got word on where the aforementioned comments were made. It
was at a fundraiser in Denver. That is not what she should be saying
anywhere, but Denver is an especially bad spot for that message due to the
number of well-heeled labeling supporters there.  It is clear that she does
not have a consistent message so I hope you can get through to her on this
with my suggestion from earlier today.  Again, I am happy to brief her or
anyone on the behind-the-scenes politics here.

Thanks,

*Gary HirshbergChairman, Stonyfield Farm*

*Chairman, Just Label It*

From:        John Podesta <[email-masked]
<javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml',[email-masked]');>>
To:        Gary Hirshberg <[email-masked]
<javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml',[email-masked]');>>
Date:        12/22/2015 11:31 AM
Subject:        Fwd: Happy Holidays
------------------------------

This is what we found that she said most recently. Not exactly what you
want her to say, but  actually pretty good and not what your friend
suggested. This was at a Maryland fundraiser. Is that where he was?

QUESTION: Do you think people have a right to know what's in their food and
that GMO, genetically modified organisms, should be labeled?

 HILLARY CLINTON: I believe in two things. I believe in what the Department
of Agriculture is doing is to start with a voluntary labeling program
because that's all they can get through right now. That's all they can get
through, but they need to start it. And we need to tell food manufacturers,
through consumer and buyer pressure, to put more information on labels. And
people can do that.

 But the other thing, the thing I am worried about most right now is one of
these riders we were talking about, is to preempt states from imposing more
rules on what information people should be able to have. So our first order
is to stop that rider until we can actually try to let states do more and
give states the chance to lead the way. That's what I support. Thank you
all.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: *John Podesta* <[email-masked] <[email-masked]>*>
Date: Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Subject: Happy Holidays
To: Gary HIRSHBERG <[email-masked] <[email-masked]>*>

I hadn't seen your earlier email. I'll ck on this. Don't think it's
accurate, but let me ck.

On Tuesday, December 22, 2015, Gary HIRSHBERG <[email-masked]
<javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml',[email-masked]');>> wrote:

Thanks and the same to you, John.  We are planning to host a Primary-eve
party in Concord for all of our out-of-town Hillary friends and supporters
so I hope I will see you there. We also have 4 empty bedrooms in the week
leading up to, and during the primary so let me know if you need a "base
camp".

And separately, did you see my email to you from a couple days ago?  If
not, I have appended it below.  With the defeat of the Dark Act in 2015,
this next year is going to be THE crucible year for getting this resolved,
so Hillary's support is very important and I honestly cannot imagine she
wants to take a position that is the opposite of what 90% of America's
mothers support.  Please, lets discuss this asap.

Hi john, I hope the anecdote below from one of the nation's most successful
and awarded advertising execs is not accurate, but if so, it is very
disappointing. We just won a staggering victory in keeping the "Dark Act"
out of the Omnibus and Tom Vilsack, Debbie Stabenow and I are organizing a
meeting with large food companies in January to try to hammer out a final
mandatory labeling solution. Hillary's publicly opposing this is both the
wrong policy position but also a direct breach of what she told me, namely
that she supports average citizens and moms having the right to know. I
have raised nearly $400K for her because I believed what she told me. If
that is not the case, I'd like the chance to speak to her.

Thanks, Gary