Sacremento Bee November 09, 2005 SONOMA BIOTECH BAN HEADED FOR DEFEAT By Dale Kasler In a win for the biotechnology industry, Sonoma County voters were soundly rejecting a proposed ban on genetically modified crops Tuesday. Measure M, which pitted traditional growers against organic farmers in a fight that drew national attention, was losing with only 43 percent in favor, with about 73 percent of precincts reporting. "It's a victory for agriculture as well as biotech, the entire biotech community," said Lex McCorvey, executive director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. Measure M's campaign coordinator, Daniel Solnit, said his side lost in part because opponents duped voters into thinking the measure would also ban biotech drugs. Measure M supporters said banning biotech crops for 10 years in Sonoma County represented a reasonable response to the spread of genetically modified foods. The moratorium was based on Europe's so-called "Precautionary Principle," which says a new technology must be proved safe before it can be deployed. They also argued that biotech's controversial image could wreck a county that's dependent on farm-related tourism. But traditional farmers said Measure M would elevate fear above science and deprive them of tools necessary to improve the county's two big agricultural industries -- the $309 million wine-grape business and the $100 million dairy industry. For instance, some grape growers argued that a ban on genetic engineering could hinder efforts to resist Pierce's disease, the insect-borne malady afflicting grape vines throughout much of California. Sonoma became the latest California county to debate the merits of biotech crops. Marin, Mendocino and Trinity counties have banned biotech agriculture, although Butte, Humboldt and San Luis Obispo rejected bans. Many farm-heavy San Joaquin Valley counties also have adopted resolutions endorsing biotechnology. The Sonoma vote came after a lengthy campaign in which biotechnology supporters, including the California Farm Bureau Federation, outspent Measure M sponsors by $420,000 to $390,000. The Bee's Dale Kasler can be reached at (916) 321-1066 or dkasler@sacbee.com. Copyright The Sacramento Bee