A federal judge has ruled that a recent ordinance in Jackson County, Oregon, to ban genetically modified crops from being grown is lawful. This is the first time a federal court has made such a ruling and sets an incredible precedent.
It may now be legal to impose a ban on GM crops in the US. A remarkable precedent was set in the courts of Oregon as a federal judge ruled in favour of the ordinance set by the people of Jackson County who do not want GMO grown on their farms, over-turning a lawsuit brought by GM alfafa farmers.
Across the US, there is a growing movement against GMO and for mandatory labeling of GMO foods. Surveys show the majority of Americans want to see mandatory labeling and believe GM is unhealthy1. At least 80 per cent of processed foods in the US contain GMO2. Major companies are recognizing this: Ben and Jerry’s are moving to make their ice creams GM free3. Chipotle, the Mexican fast food chain, has announced it will go completely GM free4. The leading baby milk formula in America, Similac Advance, is going GM-free, citing parent pressure to change5.
GM crops have been proven to cause cancer, severe allergies and are endocrine disruptors. Nearly all corn and soya and 99 per cent of sugar beet grown in the US is GMO3. These three crops are the primary additives to processed foods and are the main ingredients in GM feed for cattle and poultry. Having the ban on cultivation of GMO crops upheld in a court of law may well be the turning point to remove these deadly foodstuffs from the planet.
1 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/science/strong-support-for-labeling-modified-foods.html?_r=1&
2 http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/
3 http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-gmo-fight-ripples-down-the-food-chain-1407465378
5 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/26/business/similac-advance-infant-formula-to-be-offered-gmo-free.html?_r=0
Jackson County legal win:
