2. Consumer Right to Know vs. Right to Sue
DARK Act: Obscured the right to know what’s in our food.
Section 453: Blocks the right to seek justice when pesticides harm health or the environment.
Impact: Both measures protect corporate interests at the expense of transparency and legal recourse.
3. Backed by Industry, Not Science
DARK Act: Championed by biotech and Big Food to avoid GMO disclosure.
Section 453: Backed by pesticide companies (like Bayer and Syngenta) to avoid lawsuits, despite mountains of evidence of pesticide harm.
Impact: Neither was based on public health protection or informed consent. Both prioritized corporate shielding from accountability.
In sum, Section 453 is the liability version of the DARK Act where both betray public trust by stripping states of their ability to act on behalf of their citizens in the face of federal inaction or regulatory capture. Both silence the consumer either by hiding information, obfuscating the truth and/or denying justice.