SAVE HALOA, NO GMO KALO
Welcome to KAHEA's Virtual Testimony Table SB 958 10-year Moratorium on the Genetic Modification and Patenting of ALL Kalo (taro) Public Hearing Scheduled for March 19, 2008 Your personal testimony makes a difference. Hawaii's farmers need your help to protect Kalo - a staple of the Hawaiian diet and culture - from genetic modification and patenting. Submitting your testimony now will help Hawaii's farmers to make 2008 the Year of the Haloa Law. Please use this online form to submit personalized testimony that can be used throughout the legislative session to advocate for protecting Hawaii from GMO foods. Farmers from all over the islands call upon the State government to enact a law during this legislative session that would put an end to genetic modification and patenting of Kalo. Kalo farmers have found that allowing genetic modification and patenting of kalo does not represent pono agriculture, science, business nor politics - and - it is an abuse of the public resources that fund & support the research - and - it endangers & disrespects the many thousands (even millions!) of people who love and care about our unique island foods and culture. TALKING POINTS -DANGERS- Genetically modified kalo can cross-pollinate with native kalo varieties and the unknown longterm and potentially dangerous effects to the species, our environment and our local agriculture business can be irreversibly permanent! There is no complete research to understand what long term threats to human health may come from eating genetically modified kalo. Genetic modification is an imprecise and short-sighted attempt at a solution to stresses that Hawaiian kalo agriculture faces when clean abundant water is no longer made available to farms. Hawaiians have been successfully breeding and farming many varieties of kalo for thousands of years- time & experience have proven that species diversity & access to clean water is what is needed for a sustainable agriculture industry that can feed our islands. -DISRESPECT- Genetically modifying and patenting kalo is culturally inappropriate because kalo is both a fundamental and also sacred food source to Hawaiians, who understand that their shared ancestry began with Haloa the Kalo. Haloa the Kalo was the first kalo plant born from the ancient gods and became food for his younger brother, Haloa the Human- child of the same gods and the first human ancestor of Hawaiians. Haloa the Human was given the kuleana (responsibility) to take care of his older brother, Haloa the Kalo, who would in turn provide food for all humans. It must be understood: Kalo is not only a staple food source for people in Hawai'i, Kalo is also a member of our family, Kalo is our Kupuna! Must consider: Genetic modification (GM, or GMO-Genetically Modified Organism) is still considered a crude & inaccurate science and it is too early to know the long term and permanent effects of such experimentation on the environment and human health. Despite heavy pressure from the USA, Genetically Modified food is widely rejected in Japan & Europe, where many areas have made GMOs illegal as they have come to understand the environmental & economic threats that GMOs pose to traditional foods & agricultural sustainability, as well as human health . Why would our university and our government support research and development of food that is rejected by other scientifically advanced nations? This is bad science & ignorant politics which seems to represent short-sighted research funding and aggressive business interests rather than the public's love of poi or need for sustainable agriculture in Hawai’i. We must make it clear that we want appropriate agricultural research & pono policy that sustains healthy islands, culture, as well as productive participation in the international agricultural community. We need our government to review and pass bills SB958! SAMPLE TESTIMONY Please try to personalize your testimony as much as possible and if you are affiliated with an organization or business that supports kalo protections, then please use your letterhead Re: SB958- 10 Year Moratorium on the Genetic Modification of Taro Mahalo, |
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By Kona Coffee Farmers Association, March 7, 2008
KAILUA KONA, HAWAII - Sen. Jill Tokuda (D-Kailua-Kaneohe), Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, decided not to support, or even provide a committee hearing on HB 1577, which would place a moratorium on field trials for genetically modified coffee. Instead she is asking for a study to "develop policies that best serve the needs of our agricultural community".
The Hawaii County Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the State Legislature to pass this legislation. "It is deeply disappointing that once again the State Legislature overrides the wisdom of our County leaders and and the requests of Kona Coffee Farmers", said Bruce Corker, President of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association. "It is troubling that the Legislative leadership has killed both the GMO moratorium and the coffee truth-in-labeling bills in the back room, rather than permitting testimony from Big Island farmers in the open and democratic forum provided by committee hearings."
"We respect the right of scientists to do research, but perhaps they could apply their efforts to ridding us of the coffee twig borer which is having a significant and detrimental impact on Kona Coffee. That would be extremely helpful to Kona Coffee farmers", said Corker.
"I am outraged", said Cecelia Smith, spokesperson for the KCFA, "this Bill was backed by the entire Hawaii coffee industry, who came together in a unique consolidation, yet our representatives ignore us". Smith continued, "What do we need to do to get effective Agricultural legislation to protect what we are doing right now, in the fields?"