Some of the best wines in the US come from California, with more wineries in the state working to become better by going organic. Now, Sonoma County is taking steps to become GMO-free, putting a ban on the ballot this November, 2016.
The county will begin to collect signatures from thirty different venues throughout the area this December 12th to help kick off the GMO Growing Prohibition it hopes to add to the November 16th ballot. The county joins the Bay Area to try to make more of California GMO-free.
Though not many commercially-available grapes are yet genetically modified, many beers and wines contain genetically modified ingredients. According to the Organic Vineyard Alliance, a GMO strain of yeast used in winemaking has government approval and is on the market. GMO wine grapes have been made in labs but are not yet on the market. With GM salmon recently approved by the FDA, though, you can imagine the biotech industry will try to introduce GM grapes as soon as they possibly can.
If you happen to live in Sonoma County, please consider attending a conference to talk about ways to spread the word and, of course, to add your signature so that the initiative makes the November 2016 ballot.
When: Saturday, December 12, 2015
Time: 10:30-4
Where: In Conference Room A at SoCo Nexus 1300 Valley House Dr. Suite 100
Sources:
GMOFreeSonomaCounty
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