​L.A. considers banning GMO crops

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday will consider banning the growing of genetically modified crops in the city.

The motion by Councilman Paul Koretz raises the question, "How has it taken this long to raise the issue?"

Koretz's plan, backed by members of the council's Arts, Parks, Health, Aging and River Committee, would prohibit both the sale and planting of genetically modified seeds, as well as the sale of genetically modified fruit trees and plants in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

If approved, the City Attorney's Office will draft an ordinance that would turn L.A. into a "GMO-Free Zone," banning patented, lab-created varieties of corn, soy and other plants designed to be resistant to pests or survive weed-killing agents. And that proposal would return to the council for yet another vote.

Rather than experimenting on plant life, Koretz said, "we want to conduct our own experiment in L.A., and make all 503 square miles of the city a GMO-Free growing zone … Let's see what that does for our health, for soil health, for pollination, and let's see what it does for economic development."

Northern California already has a GMO-Free growing zone in the city of Arcata in Humboldt County, which has enacted a ban on the sale, distribution and growth of GMO seeds and plants. Furthermore, GMOs are regulated in the European Union, Australia and Japan.

And while proponents of the technology contend that it is a barrier against food shortages, critics such as Koretz say that genetic modification reduces biodiversity, makes food unsafe to eat and is linked to the collapse of bee populations.

Scott Bridges has covered the Los Angeles scene for over ten years as a journalist and food critic. Follow him on the Huffington Post