The science doesn't warrant banning gmo crops in Sonoma County

Eleven years ago, voters were at the center of a food fight over whether genetically engineered crops should be banned in Sonoma County. Proponents sought to scare voters with claims that GMO foods jeopardized the health of children while opponents argued that, given how the ballot measure, Measure M, was worded, it put children at risk by preventing common vaccinations. As we noted at the time, both arguments pandered more to fears than facts.  In the end, voters rejected the measure by some 17,000 votes — 55 percent to 45 percent.  But the GMO ban is back, and it is once again on the ballot as Measure M. Adopting such a tactic for marketing purposes would appear to have merit, if not for three fatal flaws.  First, there’s no evidence that GMO crops are actually being used in Sonoma County. Second, while a GMO ban may not have much of an impact on current operations, it could tie the hands of local farmers or grape-growers in being able to take advantage of future technologies such as the development of a rootstock that protects vineyards from Pierce’s disease. Finally, a GMO ban simply isn’t supported by the science. Earlier this year, the National Academies of Sciences & Engineering & Medicine released a report that found, based on a two-year study involving 20 experts in academia, there is no evidence of people or animals being harmed by genetically engineered crops.