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JAN-04-2000 09:42 HARC 8084865020 P.T(-~7 AND all the field testing is regulated and the product must be proven to be substantially equivalent (quality testing) before deregulation is provided and commercialization can proceed. This is not required of any other new plant product. Commercialization Now assume one has a plant that is tested and shown to have a trait someone values. Before a genetically engineered plant becomes commercially available industry/farmers .,lave to be willing to go through any intellectual property licensing process if applicable, and any applicable regulatory process before the new plant will progress further. This is what is commonly referred to as technology transfer: from the research community to the user community, and is applicable to all new products developed, not just agriculture. It is not uncommon for products rin any economic sector to be dropped at this stage. The reason for this is there needs to be some compelling economic outcome associated with a product to justify its adoption. The preser t national agricultural grant system focuses on basic research of wide and/or regional applicability and not on the commercialization of individual products. Private sector involvement (or local public agency) and significant financial resources are required for commercialization. The point here is that just because there is research on a particular product does not mean that it will end up as a commercial product. This is as true for an agriculture product as well as for air, other product in our society. In the case of coffee there are already commitments by the local research community to consult with the industry if and when there ever is a product with potential to commercialize. There is no current threat; any potential threat is years and hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not more) away. As for testing experimental plants, the existing federal requirements address the security of the tests; in addition, the federal agents seek state concurrence in these tests. I urge you not to be distracted by these side issues which farmers should work out amor(€ themselves and to concentrate on the highest priority to all of Hawaii's agriculture which is :c provide the incentives for all fanning operations to produce a stable, reliable food supply for otu- citizens, and to preserve what good agricultural lands we have left. Please join with your fellow legislators and pass incentives for agriculture this year before it is too late. We strongly urge you to vote NO on this resolution as there is no rope issue here. However, there is a real threat to the growing concerns of small tech entrepreneurial businesses, that Hawaii is too risky a place to do business in cutting edge science. Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment in this important area. Hawaii Agriculture Research Center Page J Total P.00?