GMO Banned in 100% Kona Coffee Country

[konapage]

Council bans GMO taro, coffee
by Jim Quirk
West Hawaii Today
jqu...@westhawaiitoday.com
Thursday, October 9, 2008 10:59 AM HST
HILO -- The genetic modification of taro and coffee on the Big Island
is now a banned practice.

The Hawaii County Council voted 9-0 Wednesday in favor of a bill from
North Kona Councilman Angel Pilago on its second reading to ban
genetically modified taro and coffee.

It was a circus-like atmosphere Wednesday in Hilo's Ben Franklin
building, where the meeting was held. Children played in the hallways
outside of the council chambers waiting for their chance to speak
along with their parents. A man standing in the hallway corner sang as
he strummed the strings of a guitar.

The council, meanwhile, listened to a different tune, one delivered by
the seemingly endless convoy of residents who took turns at the
microphone to give their two cents on the proposed ban.

About 70 residents testified in Hilo, while about 30 testified via
teleconference from the council offices in Waimea and Kona. There have
been no major complaints about banning genetically modified taro, but
with coffee it's a different story.

On one side of the debate are those who believe genetic modification
of coffee could eventually spell disaster for the island's coffee
industry. Off-island buyers would not be interested in Kona coffee
that has been purposely or accidentally genetically modified, the
proponents believe.

Then there are residents who believe, among other things, without
genetic modification of coffee, there will be no scientific answers
when disease strikes and destroys Big Island coffee.

A vast majority of residents who spoke Wednesday said they were in
favor of the ban.

Dr. Hector Valenzuela, a vegetable crops extension specialist with the
University of Hawaii at Manoa, said he -- unlike all of his peers at
the college -- supports the bill.

He said the scientific community should be concentrating on aspects of
agricultural research, such as teaching farmers how to sustain crops
without having to rely on chemicals, rather than genetic modification.

Bill proponent Chuck Moss, a Kona coffee farmer, said one potentiality
of genetically modified coffee is that experiments in creating coffee
trees without caffeine could spread to other trees. If that happened,
it would be hard to market Kona coffee, he said.

"How can you tell the difference from a regular tree from a decaf
tree, or a regular bean from a decaf bean?" Moss asked.

Hamakua Councilman Dominic Yagong furnished results of a poll he
conducted recently that shows 82 percent of 89 Big Island coffee
farmers support the bill.

He said during a separate interview that his office identified isle
coffee farmers using the phone book, Internet and personal knowledge.

During a previous meeting, representatives of the Hawaii Coffee
Council indicated a majority of island coffee farmers are against the
bill, Yagong said, which is why he wanted to conduct a poll to find
out for sure.

Hilo Councilman Stacy Higa, who voted against the bill on its first
reading, said Yagong's survey changed his mind.

Mayor Harry Kim, who is still not back to work full time because of
his recent heart attack, made an appearance early in the meeting and
expressed concerns that the bill wouldn't allow genetic testing of
coffee in the lab setting.

He requested the council consider developing a system where research
at places like the University of Hawaii at Hilo would be able to
continue.

Kim could attempt to veto the bill, but it seems unlikely it would
succeed because of the unanimous council vote Wednesday.



Copyright © 2008 West Hawaii Today

[konapage]

Just in case this original article wasn't enoungh I am including this
article:



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Big Island Council passes ban on gene-modified coffee, taro

The county's bill also makes conducting genetic research on both crops
a violation
STORY SUMMARY | READ THE FULL STORY

The Big Island may become the first county in the state to ban so-
called GMOs, genetically modified organisms.


The Hawaii County Council unanimously approved a bill last night that
bans researching and growing genetically engineered coffee and taro on
the Big Island.


Violators would be fined up to $1,000 but would not spend time in
jail.
By Rod Thompson



FULL STORY >>

By Rod Thompson

POSTED: 11:42 a.m. HST, Oct 09, 2008
HILO » The Hawaii County Council passed a bill last night making
researching or growing genetically engineered coffee or taro on the
island a criminal violation. The vote was 9-0.

The bill imposes a fine of up to $1,000 but no jail time. It was
introduced by Kona Councilman Angel Pilago, a candidate for mayor.

WHAT THE BILL DOES:
Supporters say it protects unique Kona coffee identity and respects
Hawaiian cultural feelings about taro.

CONCERNS:
Opponents say passage of this bill could eventually lead to
legislation that affects other crops such as existing genetically
engineered papaya which saved the papaya industry. They say it also
could hamper beneficial work on ornamental plants, and ignores the
fact that only non-Hawaiian taro has been modified.

WHAT'S NEXT:
The bill goes to Mayor Harry Kim who spoke against it. The Council has
enough votes to override a veto.

Bill opponent, Barbara Hastings of the Hawaii Island Chamber of
Commerce, said, "This bill is just the beginning of an anti-science
agenda and will see attempts to add other crops."

Bill supporters said permitting genetic engineering could lead to a
drop in the value of Kona coffee, a specialty crop which gets its high
value from the perception that it is not like mass produced coffee.

"It was coffee that people were really unsure about," said councilman
Dominic Yagong.

Yagong's staff polled 89 coffee growers, of which 73 supported the
outright ban. Another 14 said they favored genetic research, but only
in a laboratory. Only two also supported field testing in open air,
Yagong said.

More than 100 people in Hilo, Kona, and Waimea signed up to testify on
the measure, some by video link, pushing the vote into the night.

Some opponents warned of "genetic drift" from engineered plants to
nonengineered plants. That takes place through pollination. Taro is
grown from cut stalks, not pollinated seeds, and genetic drift would
be almost impossible for that crop, said University of Hawaii
researcher Susan Miyasaka.

Because coffee does grow from pollinated seeds, another university
researcher, Hector Valenzuela, urged caution with that crop.

In contrast, representatives of the papaya industry noted that
genetically engineered papaya saved them from devastation more than a
decade ago. Representatives of the ornamental plant industry testified
that they may also benefit from genetic engineering.

Regarding taro, researcher Miyasaka said a virus has already wiped out
95 percent of the taro in the Solomon Islands. Other sources have said
the virus has nearly wiped out taro in Samoa.

The same could happen in Hawaii, but Miyasaka performed genetic
engineering only on a variety of Chinese taro, not on any Hawaiian
taro. The research consists of inserting wheat, rice, and grape genes,
which block the virus.

Mayor Harry Kim took a middle position in testimony to the Council,
saying the concerns of opponents of genetic engineering are "very
valid," but the bill itself is "causing dissension and divisiveness."

He suggested the bill could halt some research at the federal Pacific
Basin Agricultural Research Center, which opened in Hilo last year
with the protection of food supplies as one of its goals.

Kim called for an organization sponsored by the University of Hawaii
at Hilo to study the issues involved.




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[konapage]

Aloha Everyone,

It appears that our lame duck Mayor, the top elected official on the
Big Island of Hawaii, is trying to pad his retirement account and may
try to veto the GMO Ban. No doubt his processor and seed company
buddies are encouraging him to do so. Hopefully the council members
all 9 maintain there votes and over-ride him if he does so. The mayor
calls the bill "divisive" this is a joke. The mayor is the one who is
divisive attempting to over-ride a 9-0 vote favoring the bill and
testimony and a survey that showed better than 83% support for the
ban!

Mahalo,

Page

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[konapage]

Alternatives to genetically engineered crops discussed.

By Catherine Cluett

For Andrew Kimbrell, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) aren’t just
some futuristic scientific enigma that doesn’t really concern him –
their existence affects his life every day.

He’s the founder and executive director of the Center for Food Safety
(CFS), a non-profit organization dedicated to public interest and
environmental advocacy, established for the purpose of challenging the
production of potentially harmful food products and technologies, and
instead promoting sustainable alternatives. He’s also an attorney who
has won many major law suits against the spread of GMOs, including
federal cases banning genetically engineered wheat and alfalfa.

Genetic engineering is the insertion of one organism’s genetic
material into the permanent genetic code of another organism. This
technology has been used to alter both plants and animals, as well as
to incorporate animals’ gene into plant structures. Genetic
modification allows for the development of traits many farmers and
large-scale growers believe is helpful for production. “Roundup Ready”
soybeans, for example, are resistant to the herbicide Roundup. BT corn
has been developed to contain its own insecticide by adding a gene
from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis.

Kimbrell, along with CFS Science Policy Analyst Bill Freese, visited
Molokai last Sunday. Kimbrell drew on his experience with GMO
companies like Monsanto to highlight the work that CFS has done, as
well as brought to the table reasons to re-examine the presence of
Monsanto in Hawaii. “I don’t think people like the association of
Hawaii as the GMO capitol of the world – an experimental lab for
unknown new crops and harmful chemicals,” he says.

Many people aren’t even aware of that fact, adds Kimbrell. That was
the purpose of their trip to Molokai: education. “We want to raise
awareness and suggest alternatives,” they said. Kimbrell and Freese
also say they are keenly aware of the important economic role
corporations like Monsanto play as employers on Molokai.

“When we talk about Monsanto, we are talking about them as a
corporation, not their employees,” Kimbrell emphasized.

Acknowledging the need for an employment alternative to go side by
side with their arguments against the work Monsanto, Kimbrell and
Freese presented the organic seed and food production industry as a
valid option. “Right now, Hawaii is known for tourism and defense,”
they point out. They hope the third association with Hawaii will
become sustainable agriculture instead of a reputation as leading
producer of GMO corn seeds in the world, a title Hawaii already holds.

But even the organic standard is not perfect as it exists now, they
argue. The label “organic” says nothing about several factors
necessary to the success of sustainable agriculture. “We need to
expand ‘organic’ to include ideas like local, humane, social justice,
and biodiversity,” says Kimbrell.

For Freese, the world-wide food crisis plays a key role in the
decision about whether or not to grow GMOs. “If biotech really offers
the last hope to feed humanity, how can we turn our back on it?” he
asks.

“But,” he adds, “Biotech crops actually have very little potential to
help developing countries with their food crisis, or to become a
worldwide solution.”

Freese cited a recent, comprehensive international study conducted by
400 experts from around the world and sponsored by the United Nations
(UN). Their task was to explore the best global food solutions and
present their findings.

Their result? GMOs are not the answer. Instead, they found the best
solution lies in utilizing indigenous knowledge, diverse farming
practices, and highlighting local and regional community food
production.

Freese also busted two common myths about GMOs.

“One of the biggest myths is that using GMO crops reduces the use of
pesticides,” he says. But in fact, pesticide use increased by 122
million pounds in the U.S. from 1996 to 2004, after the development of
GMO crops, he says. “It makes sense. You engineer a crop to be used
with a chemical, and guess what? Farmers use more chemicals,” points
out Freese.

The second myth Freese banishes is that using GMOs increases crop
yield. This is not the case, he says. “It’s been found that
genetically engineered crops often actually produce less.”

A third speaker, Nancy Redfeather, also joined the Molokai audience to
relate her experiences as a farmer and activist on the island of
Hawaii. Redfeather is also Director of the Hawaii Island School
Gardens Network.

After seven years of unsuccessfully trying to get a ban on the genetic
engineering of gourmet Kona coffee passed through state legislature,
her and her fellow farmers recently saw the bill to protect local
farmers passed through county council.

“Our county council members felt that if the Hawaii State Legislature
would not stand up for farmers, then it was their job to do it,” says
Redfeather. Council members figured out how to pass the bill at the
county level by inserting a law into the county codes under the
General Welfare section that would prohibit growing, planting testing,
and research of both GMO taro and coffee, Redfeather explains. After
two eight-hour hearings with many testimonies for either side, the
bill passed unanimously.

Redfeather hosts an annual seed exchange at her farm, Kawa Nui, to
promote farmer cooperation and interest in sustainable agriculture.
She says over 300 people attended this year, participating in “a free
exchange of gardeners’ bounties.”

The evening’s gathering at the Mitchell Paoule Center concluded with a
video highlighting the personal experiences and testimonies of U.S.
farmers whose crops or careers have been devastated by Monsanto. As a
patented product, the producers of GMO crops have been known to sue
farmers growing conventional crops when GMO pollen contaminates
neighboring fields. Farmers are often unable to pay either the
royalties for allegedly growing the patented crop or the legal
expenses for defense.

“It’s an industry where large subsidized companies are putting small
farmers around the world out of business,” says Freese.

[konapage]

Kim vetoes ban on gene-modified taro, coffee

By Rod Thompson

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 31, 2008
HILO » Big Island Mayor Harry Kim vetoed a bill yesterday that would
make it a criminal violation punishable by a $1,000 fine to research
or grow genetically engineered coffee or taro on the Big Island.

The bill was passed 9-0 by the Hawaii County Council on Oct. 8,
meaning there are more than enough votes to override the veto.

Kim cited two general concerns: that police cannot enforce such a law
and that the world needs research on genetically modified crops to
ensure food supplies.

"How would the Police Department make a determination on which taro or
coffee has been genetically engineered?" Chief Lawrence Mahuna wrote
to Kim. The department has no equipment or personnel who know how to
test for genetically modified organisms, and no money to upgrade its
capabilities, Mahuna said.

Kim added, "There is global demand for new, improved, safe and
dependable plant genetics, and Hawaii is a special place for research
because of its location and its year-round growing environment."

Council Chairman Pete Hoffmann scoffed at both statements.

In the case of a violation, scientists would report anyone undertaking
forbidden research, and police would act on that information, Hoffmann
said.

Regarding research on other crops, the bill does not impose a ban on
them, and there is no intention of widening the ban to include other
crops, he said.

Such a widespread ban has been the fear of opponents of the bill. On
Oct. 8 the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce testified, "This bill is
just the beginning of an anti-science agenda."

Hoffmann called such fears "a bunch of nonsense."

He is looking into calling a special meeting of the Council to
override the veto, since he anticipates public testimony would last
all day, he said. Previous testimony was overwhelmingly in favor of
the bill, he said.

Kim repeated a call for more public education about genetic
modification, including the strict state and federal regulations it
must meet.

Representatives of the Biotechnology Regulatory Service of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and from the state Department of Agriculture
have offered to discuss these matters with the Council, Kim said.



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WE DID IT!

November 14, 2008

Big Island bans GMO coffee and taro crops

Council overrides mayor's veto 7-0 amid big show of support

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

HILO, Hawai'i — The Big Island County Council gave final approval
yesterday to an ordinance making it illegal to grow genetically
modified taro and coffee on the island, overriding a veto of the
measure by Mayor Harry Kim.

It is the state's first such ban.

An overflow crowd at the council's Hilo hearing room was
overwhelmingly in favor of the ban, with organic farmers saying they
worry that pollen from genetically modified crops could contaminate
organic crops and destroy their livelihoods.

Critics of genetically modified crops also said there are no data
showing the altered crops are safe.

"With the passing of this bill, you stand up and protect the people,"
said Lauren Riley-Payne, 16, whose family operates an organic farm in
Kapoho. "You show that our safety is worth it."

The council voted 7-0 to override Kim's veto and ban the crops.

Critics of GMO crops cited examples of organic papaya farms that were
contaminated by pollen from papaya that was genetically modified to
make it resist the ringspot virus.

Arguments for GMO

Opponents of the GMO ban have also pointed to the papaya industry, but
draw the opposite conclusion. The ringspot virus nearly destroyed the
papaya industry, which survived only because genetically modified
strains of papaya were introduced that could resist the virus, they
said.

Taro could someday face a similar threat, according to researchers.
Taro leaf blight has nearly wiped out the taro crop in the Solomon
Islands, and scientists warn it could someday reach Hawai'i. If that
happens, genetically modified taro might save the industry.

Big Island veterinarian Billy Bergin told the council he is alarmed at
the prospect of an arm of government taking an action that would
suppress science.

"I become very, very fearful when I see government enact laws that
outlaw and criminalize research by our institutions of higher learning
that support food resources and sustainability," Bergin said.

Bergin said he trusts the University of Hawai'i to advance appropriate
research, and said further study of the issue ought to be delegated to
a committee of experts with the background to study and debate the
issue.

University of Hawai'i-Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw also opposed
the ban. In letters to the editor published in Honolulu and on the Big
Island, Hinshaw wrote that there is no scientific justification for
the ban, and "the university opposes legislation that unnecessarily
interferes with our research and educational mission."

Kihei Nahale-a, Hawai'i Community College Hawaiian Studies instructor,
sharply disagreed with Hinshaw, telling the council that no one asked
him or other faculty and staff what they thought.

Nahale-a said it is culturally disrespectful to genetically modify
taro, "and there's no reason to, actually. Kalo is perfect. Why should
we change something that works?"

Supporters of the ban said they are not suppressing science, but are
requiring that the research be done somewhere else, where it won't
pose any sort of threat to Big Island crops.

The council originally approved the ban Oct. 8 in a 9-0 vote, with
council members citing strong support for the ban among taro and
coffee farmers.

Enforcement issue

Opponents of the ban include the Hawai'i Island Chamber of Commerce
and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation. Those groups worry that more
GMO crops might be banned in the future, leaving Hawai'i crops
vulnerable to diseases and imported pests.

Kim, the Big Island mayor, vetoed the bill Oct. 30, citing the
"difficulty, if not impossibility," of enforcing the ban. He proposed
instead that a GMO Advisory Commission be established, an idea the
council has already endorsed.

Kim pointed to the concerns of Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna that
police would have no way to enforce the ban. Kim quoted Mahuna as
asking "how would the police department make a determination on which

taro or coffee has been genetically engineered?"

Kim said the federal permitting process for GMO research is stringent,
and the testing is highly regulated.

"I do believe research can help these products, help protect what
people want protected, and further the development of local
agriculture," Kim wrote in his veto message.

Dexter Washburn, who has a small coffee farm near Holualoa, said that
if testing of genetically modified crops turns out to be harmful to
local crops, it is the farmers who will pay for the error.

"They would have us take the risk," he said. "The science will
develop, but should not develop here."

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