The Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology - News summary
San Luis Obispo Tribune

Spurred by a firm's proposal earlier this year to grow genetically engineered rice locally, a California group has put an initiative on the November ballot that would ban such crops in the county, reports the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

Supporters say Measure Q is needed to protect the county's farms until all the risks associated with biotech crops are fully understood.

"I think it's wise to wait to see what happens before we allow these crops in our county," said Teresa Campbell, a Measure Q organizer. "We are a citizens group who believe strongly in this and are trying to protect our county."

But the county's most influential farming and business communities are united in opposition, and experts at Cal Poly are urging caution. They contend that the measure is poorly written, too broad and will have a chilling effect on the county's small biotechnology industry.

The industry has been highlighted as one that the county could grow by leveraging Cal Poly resources to strengthen the local economy.

"I would invite the framers of Measure Q to admit they made a serous mistake, withdraw it and draft a new one that takes into account the needs of biotech companies, Cal Poly and the farmers," said Lauren Brown, president of Promega Bioscience, a biotech firm in San Luis Obispo.

The measure is so broadly written that it could prohibit companies that use biotechnology to produce common, beneficial products, such as insulin, he added. The county Farm Bureau and the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce are among those against the measure, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

Genetically modified crops have genes from other plants and animals spliced into them in order to give the crop a beneficial trait. The most common biotech crops are designed to be toxic to pests but safe to humans or resistant to the herbicide RoundUp.

Biotech crops were first introduced in 1996. The method is commonly used in staple crops such as corn and soybeans. Compared to the Midwest, California produces relatively few genetically engineered (GE) crops and is restricted to corn and cotton.

Since their introduction, GE foods have become pervasive. The California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates 70 percent of processed foods in grocery stores contain bioengineered ingredients.

Mendocino and Trinity counties already have genetically engineered crop bans in place. Humboldt, Marin and Butte counties have measures similar to San Luis Obispo's on their November ballots.

Campaign against GE foods

The effort to ban GE crops gained momentum earlier this year when a biosciences company proposed growing genetically modified rice in San Luis Obispo and nine other counties. The state denied the proposal because the company did not have a permit from the federal government, which regulates GE foods.

A report by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine added fuel to the controversy. The July report concluded that current genetically modified crops are safe, but the federal government needs to do a better job of screening future crops for potential health effects.

According to the San Luis Obispo Tribune report, environmentalists and organic farmers are the main supporters of biotech bans. Organic farmers are afraid that biotech crops grown nearby could cross-pollinate with their crops and invalidate their hard-won organic farming certification.

Ryan Rich, an Atascadero organic fruit and vegetable farmer, said the presence of GE crops in the county could make his crops unmarketable in Europe and Japan where biotech crops are unpopular.

Fetzer Vineyards, a nationally well-known winemaker, has come out in support of Measure Q.

"As the U.S.'s organic vineyard leader, Fetzer supports Measure Q as appropriate action until such time as the long-term consequences of (GE) crops and animals in the food chain are fully understood," according to the company's prepared statement.

Measure Q supporters point to a case three years ago in the Midwest in which biotech feed corn not approved for human consumption was found mixed with supplies of food-grade grain, prompting a nationwide recall.

"We have a $530 million agricultural economy in this county. Why would we want to bring in anything that would threaten it?" asked Mike Zelina, another Measure Q organizer.

Trying to quash Q

The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce has come out in opposition to Measure Q because it could stymie technology, research and business expansion in the area, according to the chamber.

Cal Poly professors are not allowed to back or oppose ballot measures, but they say they have serious concerns with Measure Q.

Scott Steinmaus, a professor in Cal Poly's horticulture and crop science department, said county residents were right to be concerned about the recent rice proposal, which would have spliced genes into the rice to make it produce a human protein. Introducing pharmaceuticals into food, so-called "biopharming," is much riskier than other kinds of bioengineering.

A better approach would be to appoint a panel of farmers, organic farmers and academics to review, on a case-by-case basis, any proposal to plant biotech crops in the county and recommend to the county Board of Supervisors whether the proposal should be approved, Steinmaus said.

Biotechnology has become an integral part of science, and GE crops have significant environmental benefits. The reduced use of pesticides is one of the main ones, Steinmaus said.

"I don't want people to be afraid of biotechnology, and I think that's where this is tending," he said.

Measure Q supporters think critics of the initiative are overreacting and are unfairly painting them as anti-science. The measure will not affect biotech companies located within incorporated cities, and protecting existing agriculture should take priority over biotech companies that might want to locate in unincorporated areas of the county, Measure Q organizer Zelina said in the San Luis Obispo Tribune report.