The vote in Jackson County, Ore., to ban genetically modified organisms marks a huge setback for the organic community across America. We were never in the business of denying our neighbours the right to use advanced technologies. We only stipulated that we would not use them, and then let customers decide if they agreed with our philosophy. And they have.
During the same time GMOs have been in use, organic sales grew exponentially, putting the lie to activist claims that GMOs threaten organic farms. The organic industry in North America is now worth more than Major League Baseball, and publicly traded organic businesses compete on the New York Stock Exchange against conventional food companies – a measure of success, not victimhood.
For years, we argued that the farming community should respect our right to be organic. But with the vote in Jackson County – making it the third jurisdiction in America to ban a perfectly safe form of agricultural science – we’ve switched to denying our neighbors their rights. And that goes against everything it has ever meant to be organic.
My grandfather used to say you can’t sell a Ford by beating up on a Chevy. It’s time for organic activists to start living up to their claim of being 95 per cent more pure than regular food. If they don’t, the day might come when they won’t be able to sell any more “organic Fords,” especially if they keep trying to eliminate “GMO Chevs.” Consumers have a funny way of turning on you when you bend the rules of fair play.
Read the full, original article: Anti-GMO push could hurt organic industry
