Agribusiness giants Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences are looking at legal options in the wake of passage of a moratorium on genetically engineered crops by voters in Maui County, Hawaii, says DTN. The county covers Maui, Lania and Molokai islands and two uninhabited islands. The voter initiative requires a safety assessment of GE crops.
Monsanto said in a statement that it believes the initiative “is legally flawed and cannot be enforced.” Monsanto, which says its GE varieties are already declared safe by state and federal regulators, has more than 1,000 employees in Hawaii, said DTN. Dow has more than 170 employees in Maui County and says “we intend to protect our legal rights,” said DTN. Seed companies routinely use Hawaii, with warm weather year-round, as a test site for new varieties.