Boulder has long been at the forefront of environmental and political change, for a long time being a liberal oasis in a red desert. Boulder also may be one of the easiest places to easily eat local and organic (we’ll never overtake Berkeley or NYC though) with a wealth of available local produces as well as top-notch restaurants specializing in seasonal cuisine — I had the pleasure of dining at the Kitchen recently and was extremely impressed. Of course it comes as no surprise that when local farmer’s began discussing the use of Round-Up Ready sugar beets the issue did not pass quietly.
“Boulder County is the “epicenter” for organic and natural. If Monsanto were to gain support for its GM products on county land here, it would be a big win for them.” — Boulder Weekly
A vocal group of six Boulder County farmers — not including the small family farms we see on 13th street every Wednesday and Saturday — have petitioned the county government to allow them to plant Monsanto’s GMO sugar beets on 960 acres of county land. A 2003 decision to allow Round-Up Ready Corn had an addendum that required all GMO plants to be approved on a case-by-case basis. The primary argument against the plants is that there has yet to be any significant long-term testing on GMO plants and their environmental and health impacts. There are simply to many questions left unanswered.
My opinion of GMO plants is still up in the air. While I don’t support Monsanto in the slightest I am not necessarily convinced that technology and gene modification should have no part in our food. What I do believe is that untill we know more about the issue we should hold off from planting the seeds for fear that we could be creating some significant impacts that may be irrevocable. This is why I am trying to volunteer with Fresh Ideas group as they try and keep GMO seeds out of Boulder County.
