Yes to GMO ban | Letter

Published 9:37 am Thursday, October 18, 2012

A ban on genetically modified organisms in San Juan County would protect our island agriculture from genetic pollution and legal and financial burdens that inevitably descend wherever GMOs are planted. It also would help people eating vegetables, fruits, and grains grown in the islands to know they are avoiding GMOs, an important feature in a country where GMOs are not required to be labeled.

Additionally, our geographic isolation, if protected by a legal ban on GMOs, could allow our islands’ agriculture to become a safe-haven from the genetic pollution spreading slowly across mainland landscapes. The islands could become an ideal location for developing new non-GMO seed varieties, both for local use and for export. As the demand for organic and other non-GMO agricultural products continues to climb worldwide, having a clean source of genetically acceptable seed-stock will become essential and valuable.

At one time, these islands were the “Fruit Basket of the Northwest,” with all the concomitant benefits to the local economy and ecology. With the protection of this ban, we could one day become the “Seed Basket of the Northwest,” signaling another revitalization of the local economy and ecology.

Vote yes on Initiative 2012-4.

Brian & Jennell Kvistad

Lopez Island