Residents of the Rogue River Valley of southern Oregon voted by large majorities in May to ban GMO crops from Jackson and Josephine counties. They split last week on whether to require special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms, according to results in an interactive map posted by the Portland Oregonian. In Jackson County, the vote was 55-45 in favor of GMO labeling but in Josephine County, it was 51-49 against it.
The GMO labeling referendum was “the most divisive proposal” on the ballot, said the Oregonian, failing by a hair’s breadth statewide. “But interestingly, the measure wasn’t close at all in most counties,” its said. Labeling had strong support in the Portland area – Multnomah County – where it passed 62-38.
The referendum passed in eight of Oregon’s 36 counties – Benton, Clatsop, Curry, Hood River, Lane, Lincoln, Multnomah and Jackson. All are in the western part of the state. Multnomah, Clatsop, Lane and Benton counties have sizable urban populations. Tourism is a major industry in Hood River, Lincoln and Curry counties. Jackson County has many organic farms.
At latest count, the GMO labeling referendum trailed by 7,914 votes out of 1.47 million with more than 95 percent of the vote tallied. The no vote was 50.3 percent and the yes vote was 49.7 percent.