Can’t block biotech

The article on Montville’s vote to declare the town a “GMO-free zone” (“Montville bans genetically altered seeds,” BDN, March 27) could give your readers the mistaken impression that the town meeting vote actually accomplished something. It didn’t.

Maine is a right-to-farm state. State law (17 MRSA section 2805) forbids towns from enacting ordinances that prevent farmers from using methods that are considered “best management practices” as determined by the state Department of Agriculture. Biotech crops (GMOs) meet that standard. So the vote at town meeting won’t change a thing for farmers in Montville.

Opponents of biotech crops are using misinformation and fear to urge town meeting voters to ban biotech crops. It’s part of an effort to pressure state officials into re-examining the state policy that biotech, conventional and organic farming can coexist.

That policy, which is based on sound science and the realities of farming in Maine, emerged from a meeting of stakeholders that included a broad spectrum of farming and food interests.

Farmers around the world are adopting biotech-enhanced methods at an unprecedented rate. Last year biotech crops were planted by 8.5 million farmers on 222 million acres in 21 countries, including countries in Europe. Biotech crops have cut pesticide usage by enough to fill 1,514 railroad tank cars and cut greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking one out of five U.S. cars off the road.

It’s unfortunate that a small number of opponents are wasting the time of their fellow towns-people on a doomed effort to block biotechnology.

Douglas R. Johnson

Maine Biotechnology Information Bureau

Stonington