What would a ban on GE mean if it became law?
The proposed ordinance states “It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to propagate, cultivate, raise, or grow genetically engineered organisms in San Luis Obispo County.” The intent is to prohibit the growing of GE crops and animals within SLO agriculture. The ordinance does not apply to city or state lands within the county. As a result, Cal Poly would be exempt as would any biotech corporations using GE for research purposes. The ordinance also explicitly exempts for scientific research conducted in a University environment on County lands.
