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MONSANTO, DOW TO CHALLENGE MAUI COUNTY'S BAN OF GM CROPS
Nov. 17, 2014
Agri-Pulse reports:
Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences say they will challenge an initiative passed by voters in Hawaii's Maui County that places a moratorium on growing genetically modified (GM) crops.
The companies farm more than 3,500 acres in the county, which includes the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molakai, and employ more than 600 people there.
"We believe that the ban would be illegal, and we intend to protect our legal rights," Dow said in a statement. The company said it is confident in the safety of its farming operations in Maui County as well as the safety of its products, which have been reviewed and approved by federal and state agencies.
In its statement, Monsanto said it has heard the concerns about GMOs and its farming practices in Maui County. "But be assured that we and hundreds of regulatory agencies, researchers and universities around the globe are confident in the safety of our products and our practices," it said.
The ballot measure prohibits any growth, testing or cultivation of genetically modified or engineered crops until county officials conduct further health and environmental tests. Supporters of the ban narrowly won with a margin of just over 1,000 votes. Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences and the Council for Biotechnology Information raised more than $7 million in the failed effort to defeat it.
The group behind the Maui initiative, called the SHAKA Movement, said the companies are endangering the region by testing herbicides and genetically modified plants. The Center for Food Safety also played a large role in organizing support for the moratorium.
"Voters saw past the misleading claims of pesticide companies like Monsanto and Dow Chemical and demanded accountability to the community," said Ashley Lukens, program director at Hawaii Center for Food Safety.
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