02-02-2007, 07:58 AM
From Hilo Tribune 2/2/07:
HONOLULU -- A coffee farmer from the Big Island's west side and a taro farmer from the east side got their way Thursday when a House committee agreed with a moratorium on genetically altered versions of their crops.
The House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection unanimously approved HB 704, which would impose a 10-year moratorium on all production of genetically modified taro, and HB 1577, which would impose a five-year moratorium on open-field production of genetically modified coffee.
The bills now go to the Committee on Agriculture. Chairman Clift Tsuji, D-South Hilo, Puna, Keaau, has not indicated whether he'll consider them.
Committee members heard more than three hours of testimony on the bills, which were sponsored by Rep. Melee Carroll, D-East Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and co-sponsored by, among others, Rep. Faye Hanohano, D-Puna, Pahoa, Hawaiian Acres.
Coffee and taro growers supported the bills, which were opposed primarily by the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, a nonprofit started by the sugar industry, and scientists from the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
"Taro and coffee both face serious disease threats from outside Hawaii that would likely destroy the industry if these diseases become established in Hawaii," said scientist Stephen Ferreira. "I realize that some people have concerns about the use of biotechnology. These are largely based, in my opinion, on limited knowledge and understanding of the technology."
Fifth-generation taro farmer Jerry Konanui of Puna gave the committee an earful, disputing scientists' claims that genetic modifications are needed because taro yields are down.
Noting that Hawaiians see taro, which they call "kalo," as sacred and a member of their family, Konanui called the modified taro "culturally offensive."
"Take your contaminated kalo, and don't give it to me," Konanui said. "The local people knew how to do this. ... For three generations, as I look back, there was never a time that we did without taro. ... I don't know why you guys are, like, save me from my taro -- leave my taro alone. We doing fine.
It's not the first time the moratorium bills have been heard by the Legislature, which has fielded similar bills for four years.
A bill calling for a stricter moratorium on coffee made it all the way to the Senate floor last year, where it was narrowly defeated 11-13, with Big Island Sens. Russell Kokubun, D-South Hilo, Puna, Ka'u, and Paul Whalen, R-Kohala, Kona, Ka'u, voting against it.
"We feel we're being really, really reasonable this year by making it a five-year moratorium and allowing research in labs," organic coffee grower Una Greenaway of Captain Cook said after the meeting. "We're trying to come up with a compromise."
The taro moratorium is likely to fare better. The Senate version of the bill, SB 958, passed the Senate Water, Land, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, chaired by Kokubun, earlier this week.
"At this point in time, I really want to concentrate on taro, which has a cultural significance," Kokubun told the Tribune-Herald on Thursday. "I'm not convinced that coffee needs to be addressed at this point."
In her testimony, Greenaway implied that big agribusiness is lobbying heavily against the coffee moratorium, although lawmakers won't admit it.
"I may be the only one to say this, and I'm going out on a limb, but there's this giant elephant in the room, and the elephant in the room is the seed-corn industry," Greenaway said. "And I personally, and everyone I know in the coffee industry, is tired of being held hostage by the seed-corn industry."
canhle
HONOLULU -- A coffee farmer from the Big Island's west side and a taro farmer from the east side got their way Thursday when a House committee agreed with a moratorium on genetically altered versions of their crops.
The House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection unanimously approved HB 704, which would impose a 10-year moratorium on all production of genetically modified taro, and HB 1577, which would impose a five-year moratorium on open-field production of genetically modified coffee.
The bills now go to the Committee on Agriculture. Chairman Clift Tsuji, D-South Hilo, Puna, Keaau, has not indicated whether he'll consider them.
Committee members heard more than three hours of testimony on the bills, which were sponsored by Rep. Melee Carroll, D-East Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and co-sponsored by, among others, Rep. Faye Hanohano, D-Puna, Pahoa, Hawaiian Acres.
Coffee and taro growers supported the bills, which were opposed primarily by the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, a nonprofit started by the sugar industry, and scientists from the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
"Taro and coffee both face serious disease threats from outside Hawaii that would likely destroy the industry if these diseases become established in Hawaii," said scientist Stephen Ferreira. "I realize that some people have concerns about the use of biotechnology. These are largely based, in my opinion, on limited knowledge and understanding of the technology."
Fifth-generation taro farmer Jerry Konanui of Puna gave the committee an earful, disputing scientists' claims that genetic modifications are needed because taro yields are down.
Noting that Hawaiians see taro, which they call "kalo," as sacred and a member of their family, Konanui called the modified taro "culturally offensive."
"Take your contaminated kalo, and don't give it to me," Konanui said. "The local people knew how to do this. ... For three generations, as I look back, there was never a time that we did without taro. ... I don't know why you guys are, like, save me from my taro -- leave my taro alone. We doing fine.
It's not the first time the moratorium bills have been heard by the Legislature, which has fielded similar bills for four years.
A bill calling for a stricter moratorium on coffee made it all the way to the Senate floor last year, where it was narrowly defeated 11-13, with Big Island Sens. Russell Kokubun, D-South Hilo, Puna, Ka'u, and Paul Whalen, R-Kohala, Kona, Ka'u, voting against it.
"We feel we're being really, really reasonable this year by making it a five-year moratorium and allowing research in labs," organic coffee grower Una Greenaway of Captain Cook said after the meeting. "We're trying to come up with a compromise."
The taro moratorium is likely to fare better. The Senate version of the bill, SB 958, passed the Senate Water, Land, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, chaired by Kokubun, earlier this week.
"At this point in time, I really want to concentrate on taro, which has a cultural significance," Kokubun told the Tribune-Herald on Thursday. "I'm not convinced that coffee needs to be addressed at this point."
In her testimony, Greenaway implied that big agribusiness is lobbying heavily against the coffee moratorium, although lawmakers won't admit it.
"I may be the only one to say this, and I'm going out on a limb, but there's this giant elephant in the room, and the elephant in the room is the seed-corn industry," Greenaway said. "And I personally, and everyone I know in the coffee industry, is tired of being held hostage by the seed-corn industry."
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