Wednesday, November 3, 2004

By Paul Elias

SAN FRANCISCO - Agriculture biotechnology made a comeback in California on Tuesday, months after Mendocino County voters passed the nation's first ban of genetically modified crops.

Voters in Humboldt, San Luis Obispo and Butte counties rejected similar ballot measures Tuesday.

Meanwhile, voters in Marin County, a mostly suburban region just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, did enact their own ban of genetically modified crops. With 100% of the precincts reporting, the ban led 61% to 39%.

The Humboldt County loss was expected because supporters dropped their campaign after complaints that the ballot language contained inaccurate scientific descriptions and also called for the jailing of farmers growing genetically modified crops. With all precincts reporting, the Humboldt measure lost 65% to 35%.

With all precincts in San Luis Obispo County reporting, that measure lost 59-41%. "Farmers can't be handcuffed with something that is available everywhere but here," said Tom Ikeda, president of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau.

With 48% of precincts reporting, Butte County's biotech ban was losing 63-37%.

"This is simply being outspent by agribusiness," said Renata Brillinger, director of the Californians for GE-Free Agriculture. "People around the state are still mobilizing. It's just going to give them more fuel."

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press