Honolulu Star Bulletin June 31, 2009
Modified taro varieties ignite farmers' fears
But researchers say they're trying to protect the crops from disease
By Gary T. Kubota
Native Hawaiian Lyn Scott said she fears genetically modified taro could contaminate the Hawaiian taro grown by her family for generations in East Maui.
"I prefer we stick to the indigenous taro," said Scott, whose family grows taro in Honopou.
"We don't want that GMO (genetically modified organism) stuff contaminating our plants and valley."
Scott and a number of native Hawaiians are supporting a bill to ban the propagation of genetically modified taro in Maui County, including the Valley Isle, Molokai and Lanai.
The County Council's Economic Development, Agriculture and Recreation Committee deferred action on the bill yesterday, pending further review.
A total of 25 people testified at a public hearing last week and yesterday, with testimony on both sides of the issue.
If the bill passes, Maui will be the second county in the state to approve an ordinance banning the raising of genetically engineered taro. The Big Island passed a similar bill in November. A couple of state legislative bills calling for a ban were introduced last year and remain in committees.
Council member William Medeiros of East Maui said he introduced the bill at the request of many taro farmers who also objected to the University of Hawaii patenting and selling plantings of genetically altered taro -- a practice that was ended after protests.
"That's so different from Hawaiian culture where people share cuttings to plant," Medeiros said.
Medeiros said farmers are worried genetically altered taro would lead to less diversity in varieties.
He said that while scientists say they are trying to make the taro less prone to disease by altering it genetically, farmers believe there would be less disease if more water were flowing through taro patches, lowering temperatures.
"It's not that there are many new diseases," Medeiros said. "It's more there's not enough water coming down into the taro patches."
Andrew Hashimoto, dean of the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, is against the ban. "To just say you can't even study it sets a precedent that's very anti-rational from a scientific perspective," he said.
Hashimoto said many plants, including corn, have been genetically modified as part of evolution. "Even humans are mutations."
One of the goals of altering the genetic makeup of taro is to make sure the plant survives, Hashimoto added.
Scientists have found that taro has no resistance to some diseases and viruses, he said. In American Samoa, for instance, taro leaf blight decimated the crop in 1993 and 1994.
"If they come, they may wipe out this industry," he said of those diseases.
Hashimoto said a similar scenario occurred when ringspot virus attacked papayas.
The solution, he said, was to develop a "rainbow papaya" through altering genes. "Without that, the papaya industry would have died."
Hashimoto said the university believes in preserving diversity and has kept samples of various taro cuttings.
He said the varieties in Hawaii have decreased from about 300 to 63 due to disease and lack of use. Worldwide there are thousands of taro varieties.
Hashimoto said the likelihood of a genetically altered taro plant pollinating another taro is "remote."
He said the usual method of propagating more taro is to plant cuttings.
Hashimoto said his department has some varieties of taro growing together in a patch. "We've never seen a cross from one to another."
Scott said Hawaiians have been raised on a certain variety of taro.
"That's the type of taro we want to grow," she said. "I don't think we need to make it better."
Native Hawaiian Lyn Scott said she fears genetically modified taro could contaminate the Hawaiian taro grown by her family for generations in East Maui.
"I prefer we stick to the indigenous taro," said Scott, whose family grows taro in Honopou.
"We don't want that GMO (genetically modified organism) stuff contaminating our plants and valley."
Scott and a number of native Hawaiians are supporting a bill to ban the propagation of genetically modified taro in Maui County, including the Valley Isle, Molokai and Lanai.
The County Council's Economic Development, Agriculture and Recreation Committee deferred action on the bill yesterday, pending further review.
A total of 25 people testified at a public hearing last week and yesterday, with testimony on both sides of the issue.
If the bill passes, Maui will be the second county in the state to approve an ordinance banning the raising of genetically engineered taro. The Big Island passed a similar bill in November. A couple of state legislative bills calling for a ban were introduced last year and remain in committees.
Council member William Medeiros of East Maui said he introduced the bill at the request of many taro farmers who also objected to the University of Hawaii patenting and selling plantings of genetically altered taro -- a practice that was ended after protests.
"That's so different from Hawaiian culture where people share cuttings to plant," Medeiros said.
Medeiros said farmers are worried genetically altered taro would lead to less diversity in varieties.
He said that while scientists say they are trying to make the taro less prone to disease by altering it genetically, farmers believe there would be less disease if more water were flowing through taro patches, lowering temperatures.
"It's not that there are many new diseases," Medeiros said. "It's more there's not enough water coming down into the taro patches."
Andrew Hashimoto, dean of the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, is against the ban. "To just say you can't even study it sets a precedent that's very anti-rational from a scientific perspective," he said.
Hashimoto said many plants, including corn, have been genetically modified as part of evolution. "Even humans are mutations."
One of the goals of altering the genetic makeup of taro is to make sure the plant survives, Hashimoto added.
Scientists have found that taro has no resistance to some diseases and viruses, he said. In American Samoa, for instance, taro leaf blight decimated the crop in 1993 and 1994.
"If they come, they may wipe out this industry," he said of those diseases.
Hashimoto said a similar scenario occurred when ringspot virus attacked papayas.
The solution, he said, was to develop a "rainbow papaya" through altering genes. "Without that, the papaya industry would have died."
Hashimoto said the university believes in preserving diversity and has kept samples of various taro cuttings.
He said the varieties in Hawaii have decreased from about 300 to 63 due to disease and lack of use. Worldwide there are thousands of taro varieties.
Hashimoto said the likelihood of a genetically altered taro plant pollinating another taro is "remote."
He said the usual method of propagating more taro is to plant cuttings.
Hashimoto said his department has some varieties of taro growing together in a patch. "We've never seen a cross from one to another."
Scott said Hawaiians have been raised on a certain variety of taro.
"That's the type of taro we want to grow," she said. "I don't think we need to make it better."
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Hashimoto is a bird parroting his Masters. The arrogance is validating the western world science and invalidating the Polynesian science. How dumb is that? Hashimoto has been groomed the white man racist way which makes him less credible. He thinks white society and culkture is superior to other societies and cultures.
There are other factors and variables in Samoa that affect their kalo there and the same for Hawai'i which the farmers are more aware of than the western sciences will give them credit for. It's customary with western sciences that they will learn of other cultural sciences, redefine it , and claim ownership of it. Remember a rose is still a rose no matter what you call it.
At one time our people had 200-300 varieties of kalo. With that kind of genetic diversity, the susceptibility to disease could be kept in check. A problem today is that commercial varieties are few, leaving the industry way more vulnerable to disease. That combined with water diversion from streams have created the kind of challenges farmers face today. CTAHR is not the all knowing entity it claims to be. Our ancestors cultivated kalo to the highest degree, more so than anywhere else in Polynesia. Kanaka Maoli have the answers to growing kalo that the scientists at U.H. are still trying to figure out. They are so arrogant they can't see the forest for the trees. One need only look to the indigenous peoples of Hawaii for the answers.
Replies
There are other factors and variables in Samoa that affect their kalo there and the same for Hawai'i which the farmers are more aware of than the western sciences will give them credit for. It's customary with western sciences that they will learn of other cultural sciences, redefine it , and claim ownership of it. Remember a rose is still a rose no matter what you call it.
Tell Hashimoto to go dig his own ass!
Tane