What do France and San Juan County have in common?

A ban on genetically modified organisms, that's what.

Local voters embraced Proposition 2012-4 by a wide margin in the Nov. 6 election, as the citizen-led initiative banning the production of GMOs captured 61 percent of votes tallied in Tuesday's initial election results.

With 8,877 votes counted, "Yes" votes outnumbered "No" votes by 5,183 to 3,329.

"I'm proud to live in a county that could see the immense benefit of passing this forward-thinking initiative," said GMO-ban supporter Marta Nielsen of Orcas Island, an organic farmer who raises chickens.

Proposed by organic farmers and others, the GMO ban makes it unlawful to propagate or grow plants or animals in San Juan County that have been genetically modified and provides for penalties and destruction of such organisms.

Source: http://www.sanjuanjournal.com/news/177740361.html

Send GMO-Free San Juan your congratulations:
http://gmofreesjc.org/
https://www.facebook.com/GmoFreeSanJuans

Read the Initiative: http://gmofreesjc.org/local-campaign/initiative/

VIDEO: Ken Akopiantz, a farmer and owner of Horse Drawn Farm and the Seed Librarian of Lopez Community Land Trust, speaks on the dangers of genetic engineering (GE) or genetically modified organism (GMO) and why it is important for support the Initiative Measure No. 2012-4 to ban raising GMOs in the San Juan county. The speech was delivered during the Food Charrette on Lopez Island, Feb 25, 2012.

VIDEO: Jeffrey Smith talks about the GMO initiative in San Juan County. September 2012.