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• Cross-pollination can take place between GM crops and non-GM. Although coffee is considered self-fertile, it does in fact cross-pollinate. The research on the subject lists studies with percentages from 3 to 93%. Dr Bittenbender uses a figure of between 9-16%. • How far does cross-pollination occur? No one knows for certain. When they did the papaya experiments they used a safety zone of a quarter of a mile. Yet Kona bees (Kona Queen Bee) have a range of 2 miles minimum up to 8 miles. • If cross-pollination occurs, the crop will have a GM element. If the farmer uses those beans to grow new trees, he will be growing a GM hybrid. Even if only the rootstock is GM (with grafted scions of non-GM- coffee), if neglected, it could grow from the rootstock portion to become a pollinator. And the crop produced from GM rootstock grafted with non-GM-coffee would be considered a GM crop. • What will happen to the organic farms - how will they prove no GM contamination in order to keep their organic certification. How will non-organic farms know if neighboring orchards contain GM stock that may be cross-pollinating with their orchard. CONCLUSION: Yes it WILL affect our orchards - no-one can yet predict with accuracy to what degree. But if any is planted in Hawaii Island, a GM element will have been introduced which we will not be able to eliminate. If any is planted in Hawaii State there are no safeguards or agricultural inspections in place to stop plants, seeds, or bees traveling between the islands. This becomes even more dangerous with the advent of the SuperFerry allowing case of travel for bees and large consignments of plants. Can a GM Kona Coffee be marketed like normal Kona Coffee? No, here's why. • A large and increasing segment of the market will not purchase GM foods, or foods with a GM history anywhere in its origin. More than 35 countries, including Japan, have laws in place or planned which require the mandatory labeling of food containing GM ingredients, or else laws which restrict the import of GM- foods. • The European Parliament has mandated labeling requirements for genetically modified foods, lowering the threshold to one-half of one percent and declaring zero tolerance for conventional food containing GM ingredients. • Major polls conducted by Rutgers University and ABC News both found that 90% of American consumers support GM labeling. • Oregon successfully gathered enough signatures to place mandatory labeling of GM foods on the ballot. Campaigners have vowed to place similar measures on the ballot in a dozen states, including Colorado, Washington, and California. • The Specialty Coffee Association of America does not consider GM coffee a "specialty coffee" so GM Kona would no longer have that status. • Kona Coffee is considered one of the worlds best coffees and sells for the highest price. It is unlikely that consumers would pay a gourmet price for a GM product. One of our marketing points is our 200 year heritage trees. GM trees would not have that cachet. CONCLUSION: GM Kona Coffee will have to be sold at a much reduced price due to several factors: no longer considered a gourmet product; hugely diminished world market that will accept it resulting in a glut to those markets still open to it stringent labeling requirements may make consumers reject it. OVERALL, the Kona Coffee Farmers Association believes that ANY introduction of GM plantings into Hawaii will cause Kona coffees price to fall sharply, and 650 farmers will lose their ability to maintain their coffee business. This situation will exist until such time as the worldwide market accepts GM foods, and Kona coffee farmers cannot afford to be the test case for this.