The growing battle over genetically engineered plants is slowly taking root in California, most recently with a proposed Assembly bill that would allow farmers to sue bio-crop manufacturers for cross-contamination of organic and traditionally grown plants, which could hurt their marketability.
Freshman Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) introduced AB 541 in February, saying it would establish the state's only law related to genetically altered plants, or bio-crops.
The Assembly Judiciary Committee will discuss the bill, also known as the Food and Farm Protection Act, at its meeting today.
"There's a lot of organic farmers in my district that worry about what potential damage genetically engineered crops could do to their fields," Huffman said.
With few regulatory laws on the books in the United States, California's attempts to enter the fray over bio-crops could hold major implications for the state's agricultural industry -- the nation's largest with $27 billion in annual revenue.
Nearly 30 years since the introduction of genetically altered plants, growers are increasingly facing a backlash from local and regional governments worried about the plants' unknown environmental and health risks.
Marin, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Trinity counties in the last three years have each passed outright bans on growing genetically altered plants. And the city of Santa Monica recently went so far as to adopt an ordinance to keep the crops out of its half-acre community garden.
At the same time, genetically engineered plants are more popular than ever across the country and around the world.
Between 1996 and 2006, the amount of land cultivated worldwide with genetically engineered plants increased from 4.2 million acres to 250 million acres, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. More than half of those acres were in the United States.
Proponents say genetically engineered plants can provide longer-lasting crops, are resistant to adverse conditions, herbicides and insects, and can be used for pharmaceutical purposes or as edible vaccines for diseases such as hepatitis B and AIDS.
"The benefits are even more profound for developing nations as it could lead to genetically enhanced crops with higher iron content and longer-lasting shelf life," said Brian Hyps, a spokesman for the Maryland-based American Society of Plant Biologists. "If anything, the acceptance of bio-crops has become widespread, as it's hard to make it through the grocery store without encountering one."
