HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0728.042 2000-2002 ~~~N~'~l
September 25, 2002
Hawaii County Council ,oo~o Kona co Qe
Honorable James Arakaki, Chairman FARM S
RE: Resolution 236-02 ~?r~e..----------------r-•. Bv•-----------~--M-~-
Dear Hawaii County Commissioners: ~®un~il
Greenwell Farms is a coffee farming and processing company in Kona,
Hawaii. Our family business has been established in Agriculture on this
location for over 150 years. Currently, we grow coffee on our property,
purchase coffee cherry from over 200 farmers throughout North and
South Kona, and sell green bean and roasted coffee to the specialty coffee
markets in Europe, the mainland USA, and the Pacific Rim.
We share similar concerns as the supporters of Resolution 236-02 about
the World's perception of Kona Coffee, and we understand the general
concerns raised about genetically modified (GMO) coffee species and their
affect on market perception. As a director of the Hawaii Coffee
Association we participated in the development of that organization's
position on this issue which is as follows:
"No GMO coffee is currently grown in Hawaii and it is the HCA's
position that none should be commercially grown in Hawaii at this
time. It is the HCA's position that no field tests of GMO coffee be
done without the agreement of the HCA".
However, we have concerns about the passage of Resolution 236-02 for
the following reasons:
• Passage of this resolution may contribute to limitations being
placed on public funding for important existing and future coffee
research done outside the Kona Districts.
• To our knowledge, there currently are no commercial plantings of
GMO coffee in the State; nor do any plans exist for future
plantings. To pass this resolution now, when no apparent threat
exists, may wrongly imply to our customers throughout the world
that GMO coffees exist in Kona now.
Greenwell Farms, Inc., Post Office Box 248. Kealakekua, HI 9675 Nom •
(808) 323-2862 Fax (808) 323-2584
File No.
Ref. •
Ref. ~~te 2 5 ~40Z
Hawaii County Council
9/25/2002 -Page 2
We hope that you will consider these issues and defer passage of this
resolution until such tune that known threats to the genetic pool in Kona
can be identified.
fihank you for the opportunity to present our opinion on this issue.
Sincerely,
'Thoinas F. Greenwell
General 1Vlanager