This City in Oregon is Set to Become a ‘GMO-Free’ Zone


The state of Vermont recently experienced an enormous victory over biotech corruption when their legislators chose to uphold a mandatory GMO labeling bill, but Benton County Oregon might soon one-up that mighty action by becoming a GMO-free zone.

Ballots were mailed to Benton County residents on April 30, and a vote will transpire no late than May 19th, 2015. The new ordinance is an attempt for local residents to take back their food supply. Measure 2-89 would:

  • Restores Benton County residents’ right to local decision-making on agriculture.
  • Protects natural communities for healthy agriculture.
  • Shield farmers from patent-holder lawsuits.
  • Preserve Benton County residents’ right to save seeds.
  • Prevent non-GMO market losses like that which occurred from GMO wheat contamination.

 

gmo_ballot_county
Image from: www.bentonfoodfreedom.org/

The Oregon county had more than enough signatures to put the measure on a November 2014 ballot, but they delayed it until this May’s ballot so that voters could rally understand what they were voting on.

 

If the measure were to pass not only would biotech be banned from the Oregon county, but Universities could no longer conduct ‘test’ planting of GM crops that often lead to contamination of non-GM crops in the area.

You can be sure that Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, Dow, Cargill and the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association will outspend the promoters of the GMO-banning measure, but nothing can beat grass-roots action. Be sure to pass the word to all of Benton County, NO MORE GMOs! This small win for a county would be a wonderful precedent-setting move for the entire country – and that’s why Monsanto will fight it to the end. Don’t let them win!

 

Source(s):

naturalsociety.com

http://www.healthfreedoms.org/this-city-in-oregon-is-set-to-become-a-gmo-free-zone/