This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English AgricultureReport.
Voters in the American state of California did not just choosegovernment representatives in elections on November second. In someareas, voters also made decisions about agriculture. Four countiesdecided if they wanted to ban products of genetically engineering.
This was not the first time that Californians have voted on theissue. In March, Mendocino County became the first area in theUnited 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 inHumboldt County was declared unconstitutional. However, MarinCounty, to the North of San Francisco, voted to ban such crops andanimals.
The votes are the latest clashes in a campaign to limit thespread of genetically changed products. Environmental groups supportvotes to ban such products. Many environmentalists are concernedthat genetically engineered crops will mix with traditional crops.
In October, the Environment Protection Agency released a study ona genetically engineered kind of grass. It found that the grasscould fertilize grasses up to twenty-one kilometers away. Thatsurprised scientists.
Many farmers oppose bans on crops they can grow. The CaliforniaFarm Bureau Federation wants voters to reject bans on geneticallychanged products. And many farmers are concerned that their productsmay become less competitive if they cannot use the latesttechnology.
But, the success of local votes on genetically changed cropsdepends on the agricultural interests in those areas. In MendocinoCounty, for example, organic grape growers are an important part ofthe economy.
Wine-making companies such as Fetzer and Frey use organicallygrown grapes from Mendocino. These companies have found that organicwines are an expanding part of the American and foreign winemarkets.
Organic growers may fear losing their organic approval ifgenetically engineered crops are nearby. At the same time, organicwine-making is a growth industry in the American wine market. Thatmarket is worth nearly twenty-two thousand million dollars.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by MarioRitter. This is Gwen Outen.