AGRICULTURE REPORT - Californians Vote on Biotech Crops

AGRICULTURE REPORT - Californians Vote on Biotech Crops
By Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Tuesday, November 09, 2004

This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Voters in the American state of California did not just choose government representatives in elections on November second. In some areas, voters also made decisions about agriculture. Four counties decided¹ if they wanted to ban products of genetically² engineering.

This was not the first time that Californians have voted on the issue. In March, Mendocino County became the first area in the United States to ban genetically engineered crops and animals. Trinity County approved a similar ban in August.

Last week, four more California counties voted on the issue. Butte County rejected a measure to ban genetically engineered crops. So did voters in San Luis Obispo County. A similar measure in Humboldt County was declared unconstitutional. However, Marin County, to the North of San Francisco, voted to ban such crops and animals.

The votes are the latest clashes in a campaign to limit the spread of genetically changed products. Environmental groups support votes to ban such products. Many environmentalists are concerned that genetically engineered crops will mix with traditional crops.

In October, the Environment Protection Agency released a study on a genetically engineered kind of grass. It found that the grass could fertilize³ grasses up to twenty-one kilometers away. That surprised scientists.

Many farmers oppose bans on crops they can grow. The California Farm Bureau Federation⁴ wants voters to reject bans on genetically changed products. And many farmers are concerned that their products may become less competitive if they cannot use the latest technology.

But, the success of local votes on genetically changed crops depends on the agricultural interests in those areas. In Mendocino County, for example, organic grape growers are an important part of the economy.

Wine-making companies such as Fetzer and Frey use organically grown grapes from Mendocino. These companies have found that organic wines are an expanding part of the American and foreign wine markets.

Organic growers may fear losing their organic approval if genetically engineered crops are nearby. At the same time, organic wine-making is a growth industry in the American wine market. That market is worth nearly twenty-two thousand million dollars.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. This is Gwen Outen.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

3 fertilize   

v.使受精，施肥于，使肥沃

参考例句：

• Fertilizer is a substance put on land to fertilize it.肥料是施在地里使之肥沃的物质。
• Reading will fertilize his vocabulary.阅读会丰富他的词汇。

4 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。