A group of mothers in Hawaii have launched a door-to-door campaign to convince voters to block the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops over safety concerns, and the affected agricultural companies are pushing back, according to Market Business News.

GM companies are countering the Maui-based campaign by running ads claiming that the effort amounts to a “farming ban,” urging voters to reject the proposal.

The 160,000 residents of Maui will go to the polls Nov. 4 to decide the fate of GM crops in the state, at least until more studies provide greater evidence of their safety.

In the United States, 90 percent of corn crops are genetically engineered. That figure is lower in Hawaii.

The head of the movement, known as SHAKA — Sustainable Hawaiian Agriculture for the Keiki (children) and the Aina (land) — says corporations want to use Maui as a chemical experiment, all while sending the profits elsewhere, leaving residents to deal with the resulting pollution. He downplayed fears of job losses as “sensationalized,” arguing that the tourism industry is far bigger and at great risk from GM crops.

Instead, SHAKA is pushing for bio-tech workers to transfer to ecotourism and “small farm sustainable agriculture.”

Most affected by this initiative are Dow Agrosciences, which has one farm in Hawaii, and Monsanto, which has two farms.

Analysts believe the ban could have a ripple effect across the nation as agricultural companies do a lot of their GM research in Hawaii. It could end up raising the prices of crops for Monsanto and Dow as they spend more to develop GM seeds.

There has been little scientific evidence to suggest that GM crops are unsafe, but fears persist among U.S. residents who are concerned about the practice.