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April 2007 - Washington Legislature Opens Door for GE-Free Zones for Brassicas

The legislature of Washington State has adopted a bill a (H.B. 1888) allowing producers of brassica seeds (the genus that includes canola, broccoli, radish, mustard, cabbage and others) to petition to set up a zone to protect against GE contamination, and allowing lawsuits to enforce this isolation. Washington produces half of the world's cabbage seeds. The text of the bill can be downloaded here.

An excerpt from the bill reads:

The legislature finds that species, hybrids, varieties, and variations of plants of the genus Brassica have potential to form genetic crosses, particularly when they are grown in geographic proximity, and will, if not properly regulated, result in significant loss of quality, purity, and value in the seed produced.