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Maine Town Says 'No' to Transgenic Crops |
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Written by Kiki Hubbard
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Saturday, 29 March 2008 |
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Montville, Maine passed an historic ordinance today that bans the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) crops and requires farmers already growing these crops to phase them out of production within two years.
Before today, California was the only state with a binding local ordinance that restricts growing GE crops. In 2004, Mendocino County passed Measure H and became the first county in the U.S. to ban the production of these crops.
In 2006, Montville passed a resolution that directed the town to set up a committee and draft language for a moratorium on GE crops, the product of which – a three-page ordinance – passed by an overwhelming voice vote this morning.
Proponents of Article 12 say it protects farmers who choose to plant conventional and organic crops from genetic contamination. As Envirovore reported earlier this month, it's increasingly difficult for grain growers to ensure harvests that are 100 percent free of transgenic material.
Local initiatives like Article 12 and Measure H seek to address the shortcomings of federal regulations governing GE crops. (And no state has ever enacted regulations governing GE crops.) Though these initiatives typically cover a relatively small area and population, biotechnology firms have responded aggressively by proposing preemption bills aimed to dissolve local and state control over seeds and plants, effectively undermining democracy and communities' control over public health issues. As of December 2007, preemption bills have passed in 16 states.
Even in the face of vigorous opposition, local initiatives are laudable forces effecting real change at the community level. The local ordinances in California and Maine are valuable starts.
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