2004-11-8
This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Agriculture
Report.
Voters in the American state of California did not just choose
government representatives in elections on November second. In some
areas, voters also made decisions about agriculture. Four counties
decided if they wanted to ban products of genetically engineering.
This was not the first time that Californians have voted on the
issue. In March, Mendocino County became the first area in the
United States to ban genetically engineered crops and animals.
Trinity County approved a similar ban in August.
Last week, four more California counties voted on the issue.
Butte County rejected a measure to ban genetically engineered crops.
So did voters in San Luis Obispo County. A similar measure in
Humboldt County was declared unconstitutional. However, Marin
County, to the North of San Francisco, voted to ban such crops and
animals.
The votes are the latest clashes in a campaign to limit the
spread of genetically changed products. Environmental groups support
votes to ban such products. Many environmentalists are concerned
that genetically engineered crops will mix with traditional crops.
In October, the Environment Protection Agency released a study on
a genetically engineered kind of grass. It found that the grass
could fertilize grasses up to twenty-one kilometers away. That
surprised scientists.
Many farmers oppose bans on crops they can grow. The California
Farm Bureau Federation wants voters to reject bans on genetically
changed products. And many farmers are concerned that their products
may become less competitive if they cannot use the latest
technology.
But, the success of local votes on genetically changed crops
depends on the agricultural interests in those areas. In Mendocino
County, for example, organic grape growers are an important part of
the economy.
Wine-making companies such as Fetzer and Frey use organically
grown grapes from Mendocino. These companies have found that organic
wines are an expanding part of the American and foreign wine
markets.
Organic growers may fear losing their organic approval if
genetically engineered crops are nearby. At the same time, organic
wine-making is a growth industry in the American wine market. That
market is worth nearly twenty-two thousand million dollars.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario
Ritter. This is Gwen Outen.