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March 29 -- Montville bans biotech crops
At the annual town meeting, residents of Montville enacted an ordinance banning the planting of biotech crops. Two years ago at town meeting, residents directed town officials to revise the town's comprehensive plan to prohibit the planting of biotech crops and draft a land use ordinance that would codify the ban. The action at Saturday's town meeting completes that action.
In 2005, elected officials in Kennebunk and Kennebunkport prevented voters from voting on a similar ban because the ordinance, if enacted, would violate Maine's right to farm law. The action followed receipt of a strongly worded letter from the Department of Agriculture informing the towns that the proposed ban would conflict with Maine law.
Also in 2005, the voters of Brooklin sidestepped an outright ban on biotech crops and instead passed a non-binding resolution declaring the town to be "a GMO-free zone." Liberty voters passed a similar resolution at town meeting the following year.
The effort to ban the planting of biotech crops on a town-by-town basis is being conducted by a group of individuals who call themselves Food for Maine's Future, formerly known as GE Free Maine. Two of the group's leaders came to Maine from Vermont where they were active in a similar effort to ban botech crops on a town level.
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April 7 -- MONTVILLE BAN ON GENETIC ENGINEERING COULD HURT STATE’S ECONOMY
A ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), recently enacted by the Town of Montville, could hurt the state’s efforts to attract biotechnology companies and investment, warns the Maine Biotechnology Information Bureau. “Whether they intended to or not, the Town of Montville banned all biotechnology activity, including research and development, in their town,” said Douglas Johnson, Ph.D., executive director of the bureau. “If The Jackson Laboratory were located in Montville, they would have to shut down.”
At town meeting on March 29, Montville voters passed an ordinance entitled “Town of Montville Genetically Modified Organisms Ordinance.” The ordinance makes it “unlawful for a person, partnership, firm, or organization of any kind to produce genetically modified organisms in the Town of Montville for a period of ten (10) years.”
“Maine is investing millions in research and development in order to attract private investment to the state in an effort to grow the state’s economy,” Johnson said. “The Montville ban says biotechnology is not welcome here. Who would invest in Maine knowing that any town in the state could suddenly make their business illegal?”
In an article posted on the Maine Biotechnology Information Bureau blog, Johnson challenges state officials and scientists to speak out against Montville’s attack on biotechnology. “If state officials and scientists remain silent, the residents of Montville will get their wish as the state slips quietly back into the 19th century,” the article concludes.
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USDA reports biotech crop usage increase
The latest data from the U.S. Department of agriculture shows that plantings of biotech crops in 2008 continued their steady increase. Biotech crop plantings have increased in the U.S. every year since the crops first became available in 2006.
The USDA's 2008 report, "Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the US," reveals that in 2008, 80 percent of all corn, 86 percent of all cotton and 92 percent of all soybeans were genetically engineered to resist insects or were herbicide tolerant or both. According to the USDA, the "rapid growth in the adoption of genetically engineered crops continues in the U.S."
