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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0728.063 2000-2002 Cha'as€~c ~hep~ard . Presi~#c~~~ l~o€~~ Coffee Ceacil ~ ~ , c~~~~r?~Sa We seep than l~esolutis~ as part of o€a effort to rnx~ar~tain the market posi.tioaa of i~ora~ coffee. 'I'lte l~esol~atiora is specific to l~oaaa and specific to coke and is not raaea~t i.~. any ~vay to impact af~y other crop gro+~n anyv~rhere ira 1Javvaii. Koran coke occupies the faigl~est niche in tlxe spceialt~~ ,~~aarct c~ee a~;t:, phis riot just due: to its t~~te, apt beca~~se <~f at5> yearly ~ h;i:~t ~ al~:es it ~ h~t~~e coffee ~vithiu the gonrae# :ark~t. ~t zs araly this l~lgl~ vf~l~ac rl~~t ~loxs ~€~ffi;e fa~i.~g Kona to be a. viable means of j~zakig a living. if the price fell, then ray f.~€~ veld ~,o out of l~~si~css, li.l~e tl~sasc o C.~~ ~d l~~a€~i, ~l~icl~ cold got sc~i ~~ir .~z~~a's price-port. T.ra resasc t3~ nestio~T ~gm ccsr€ceae~ custo€r~ers, the Kona. C~f~ee Cor~ncil reacarcl~ed the lil~ely impact of Kos coffee regi~€~s ~~i~g e~p~sed to Ca:eticall3' ~r~dit~ c~ee. The attached email is from T'ed Lingle, lxecutive lairector of the Specialty Coffee r~ssocia€~on of E'~aerica, The SCt~.~'~'v Susfiaia~al~ili Co~itt~e l~.}a~ z<td~ted that a ge~~~ic~lly a~ified ff~~; i~. nor co~:igten~ tl~ ~:l~e CA°~cll~€~€;ti~~€ of ~~~~lity. in a respoa~::~s~ to l~€. l~itteral~e€aea- crf Ulf l~~ added lac elie~-es that '°C~ prod~~ ~y ill benefit ma.~kid ira the tong run, In: the short r€a, there is a~~h co:~~ar ed~o €o done." fihis mcana is tl~~~ ~~t and €€1 this "rrsnch ce~~ -meter ~dca~s~n' leas shy ~ positive result, genetically ra~odified Kona coke could not £~ld i.n the spcci.~l~y coke markets Iastez~d of selling for our hig€~. gourmet price, zve ~voaagd ~ se_llig zit the l~~v price point ~~b.ich catased the derraise of coffee fara o ~:he oaer i~,l<~n~~,~ 13ecaa,ase of this threat to the ra~rltetability of Koran coffee, in July the bona Coffee Council ~wrotc to the I~eparent of ~,gricasltrzre, mho issue w pe~i~ fo~° field tes~~g of GM stock, a.,? iarg for a temporary motoriu. bails resat t~s tvao pers€a~nel ~lao work. with e co groups, and to James €~~ls~tani the Chairperson. mho was sent a letter, a fax grad an email. ~ETe have received no response. lll8i8~~t: 1°d'~a ~l~e ~~F We are ~=orl~:in~ with otl~cr farms groups to protect Kona coffee. In particular tic L'Veir~erc of I-Ia•~va<i lade Papaya-~ has interce€led ~~ith tlae I~eparnt of Agriculgure to tYy end get a com~~i~ent that. the, f~~ould veto any applaca~ons for fief t~.<ts. '1'hc I~€~z~4's r~-s~s~, addressed to Chairea€an t'~ral~alci, is attached, and is not helpf€~l. T`hey merely ou€tine their existiz;g pr~eda~re "the fit~€te ~.as. the oppo~tait~ to ~.dcla~:ss Ioca.l coceas, ~~hef needed". "This County Council lass a. strong and flourishing relationship with ~e I3epartnaent of Agric~€lt~~~z. ~~d. the l3io~-aga-ic~~.lt~~€~1 ir€~~~astry. TI€is Itesoluti~a~? f~=i1.9 :3end a clear ;~s~ga to the p~~~~ing ath~rity that Iia~~~~i.i Coen Conncil un~er~tand~ the €~eeds of the Kona cc~ffce fs:€~ers~ a€~;d valves thc~* conthution to its income vase. Our i€a~€:~y is i<~ a different place. anal selling to a totally r~ifferent ~r~et tla-an t'e Tla~aiiaa€ agr€culture gro~€ps ~ here genetically modified Islan€s have already taee~-~ introdaaced. This Resolution ~rvill ed~ac-ate the scientific co~£anity tl~ai Kona coffee has a ~a~°lcet niche tla~~t can €~~o,~ ~y genetic modificat€on f:~.i.~ i~or~~~ccd too :~o~ar~. This Resol~tior~ a~jill help ~~s get tlae Mention of thy: I~cpa€~€n~a~? of Agriculre our needs. We are aware a.at yo~~ have received testi.ony rla.iming ghat ~~~a are "anti We a pa°o-K.ona coffee end. o~~r Ii~-clihoads< This Kesolaatlo~€:is fed ~P~IC:Af,I,~Y to Kona send coffee, I~e~~~ do n.ot he ~x~isle€1 into thinking this i.s a ~:~:sne. It is a Kona coffee issue - pare end :~.i;pl~; l~~c Kona coffer. Attached to r~ny testin7ony is specific ~huttal to inaccurate statements rtaade at the Co~.itt ~~ee~g on ~epter 1€~~, anal I would ~1~ your kin~:s-~ to ~:~~e~ hose also. Thar,~c you for this opportunity to give testimony=. Ted Lille, x/31/®2 5:4~ -1, Its: l~®na C®e Coa~ncil Ps~licy C,~netBty 10+~ 1 Peply-To: <tlingleC~scaa.org> From: "Ted Lingle" <tlingl~scaa.org> To: "`Christine Sheppard"' <coffeeC~pendragonhawaii.com> Cc <IZick.PeyserC gmcr.com> Subject: lam: Kona Coffe Council Policy on Genetically Modified Coffee Plants Date: Wed, 31 Ju12~2 OS:46:43 -700 X-Priority: 3 (Normal) importance: Normal ®ear Christine: The following statement was developed by SCAA's Sustainability Commi4tee that reflects their current thinking on GM®'s: "The SCAA defines coffee quality as: C~uality in the Cup C~uality of Life, and Quality of the environment." "Current research on genetic engineering of coffee, including controlled ripening and decaffeination, is not consistent with this deflninition of quality. The apparent risks and costs of this technology to the cup quality of specialty coffee, as well to ~e social and environmental conditions sender which coffee is grown, do not justify SCAR suppoaf of current s~esearch on the use of GMOs in the cultivation of coffee. !l~ihsle the SCAR is not in the position of providing the scsent~c expertise to prove such asks, cdarresgtly the presence of any beneflts to the industry have not been demonstrated, and do not warrant SCAR suipport of current GA~© coffee development." if you would like additions! insight into our discussion of this issue, please contact Rick Peyser at Green fJlountain Coffee Roasters who is the Chairman of SCAA's Sustainability Committee. Thanks, Ted Lingle -----®riginal 1Vlessage----- Frona: Christine Slaepgarci iltq•~gff~en~ir~onhaev~si coral Sent: Tueselay, July 30, 200211:OS PIvl To: `TL,ingleC~scaa.org Saab] Kona Cof€e Council Policy on Genetically 1Vlodifed Coffee Plants Aloha Ted, The Kona Coffee Council has requested a moratorium on genetically modified coffee stock being planted in Kona (full policy statement below). As I am sure you are aware, any introduction of GM stock into our growing region will rapidly devalue Kona coffee. Cross-fertilization flaetv~aeen out heirloom Kona Typica and GM WILT, take place (our researchers looked at the the scientific literature and came up with a reliable 10% minimum cross-pollination ratQ), and dais will make our Kona coffee unmarketable immediately in Japan and Europe and, eventually, in America. We have asked the I-ICA to endorse our Policy to the State and to the University of I~awaii. They plan to vote on August 7th..... I would be very interested to know if the SCAR has an opinion on this subject? 1Printed f®r Clar~ttiae S~e~rd ec®fgee~~ndra~®aw.co 1 ~C ~i~bc~~, ~l12i0~ 11:37 ~ -1 Gl~ C®e~ ( 1 Date: I~on,12 ~u~ 200 11:37:01-1000 ~I°oln: I~~ ~Itt ~e.I' G~1Cbltt~l~BRTai1.eL1L1> Subje~ ~~/I Coffee (d~aflYl..~ X-~er: hcbi ~-sC~~I`.BAi~iil.~il T'®: Cha~asti~~ sp <c~~a~°ag®nha~araii.co~n> Cc: n~auioauaaui.netr "~a~anlc. ICi~eexe" ~~eal®haraet>, vsnlith@l~aa~aii.edu Aloha Christine, Attackaesi is ~e letter I read at flee ~xaeetin~, that you requested in you below (tl~e letter). Fiease corasid~ flee sliscsassion at flee INCA bond ~neetiaa~ about gnia~iat~a~re~ publacity. There is no genetically eneered coffee ~roag ogatside ia~ I-lawaii, but if we keeping talleix~~ aboaat it tllaen people gill remain iiaterested in a non~tory. dip . August 7, 2002 ~O: David Fridley, President FR~&: ~C Ritt~nder 1tR: Response to questions on Coffee +'s and Varieties the issue before us is not so much a biological or scientific issue as a g~arketing issue. '~3e sure growing coffee to sell ixa a specialty market, and must sell according to the whig€~ of that market. Questions A. the RCC president only poses one question: "Can C and CTAHR assure the Rona Coffee Council that no Chi coffee product r~rill be planted on the Island of Rawaii?". Answer to (questions ~ is: 2+To. C and CTARIt acknowledge the need to follow regulatory protocol , ~rhieh is shat RCC rea~estsd in its July12, 2002 statnt egad Rona Farmers ,Alliance requested a.n their duly 26 stateg~ent. Zf the current coffee genetic engineering program on negsatode resistance advances to field testang then C`~A~ and /or itC y request a per~.t to test in a nematode infested field in Rona. with regards to a third party, are neitb~r regulators nor police nor hod. If a third party wishes to y fer per~.ts C~A~ can not prohibit it. If illegal acts by third parties these are beyond our control. Questions posed by the RCA president, David Gridley. Question B. 1) Are there plantings of different varietils or genetically modified coffee plants in Rona? Answer is: Yes, no and very unlikely. Yes there are other varieties besides 'Guat~tala' also called 'Roma typica' going ~ Rona, this has been the case wince 1892. 3ted Caturra was popular in the 1960's , progeny s02 ~zon the cupping contest in 2000. Dto, neither C`gA~, RAItC, nor Integrated Coffee technologies Ines have genetically g~odified plants in ~iawaii county. CTA~'s old 'caffeine free' plants on ®ahu war's destroyed in Deceg~ber .2000. the pergait notice is still on the b site. today C°1'A~iR does snot have any O:kIO coffee. RARC's are secured in s, greenhouse on ®ahu. ~e know that no ne~a pers~i.t has been issued. for outdoor evaluation for any place in Raeaaii for coffee bgr referring to these ~sebsites htt~,(.1s. ~am2ais usd~ csov/c~a~cx/bicgtech/ and gatto //mot ~.sb vt edu/ on 0'~Ds. therefore its is unlikely that t2aere are any O<@i coffee plants growing outside anywhere in the state. If coffee grosser suspects that a coffee planting exists they should ask. the owner or fargct manager. SEP-I8-G2 WEB 12,11' P?~ HAPrAI PkiDF, FAX, 8089828881 ?AGE 1 ~4a+-IT°D2 03,5sia~ Frog-PLAFIT INDUSTRY+DtY ( + T-2TT P.~$1Dt ~-1l3 n¢ aae e ,u~a a, cav~a~~ ~ s~a~t ~~rsor at to rt~a~t, ffi acs ~ rtl tf~9~P~RTNdENTe3F~F~~1pCEILTLJft~ - ~ 1426 So~tt-i IGnQ ~7tr~: 9iona6uly, Mfl S*SB74-2512 ~x (808)973-~54~ September 17, 2002 fihe ~onoraf~le James Arakakl, Chairman f-lewaif County Council Ccatinty lmiawaii 2~ Aupuni Street ~4ll0, Hawai! ~72fl C®ar (49r. l~ralcaki: The United States ®epar3nt.ot Agriculturl~ (llSC~A) regtrlatel~ e9rg;~lnlsrv~ praduets a4terc~d ®r ~~d thrgaa~gh. g~nefic erDaneesing. i~esessrchers ~~st o~tl~Era `d~its $r~nra l,:4Si~A'eg ~Siea nei!®gy, S!olpgic~, said ~ravirsttac'r°t~rata! ~rotectlon seet~rt P tea any inter~st~te rttover~rZt ar tease into ~e ~ravironrnent eaf tie earga~s. °t°he lssusnce o$ tha permit Wised ~ape~at the finding of no signlfnt Ina~~ by l9Sl~A's ~ia~#eshnalogic~i s~~$ atfe~ revsng the aspects end lrli~tiona of ~i'te p®r'~~. €n additi~re, ghe te~era; porz~sit process a€!t~ ~ SEi>;tte to re5r the per~if applis~tleast e~ 1) concur • US~t3/~'s findir~~, raot concur v~~h l9SCa4's findings, e9r 3) ac~r with add'stio~a° condltie>ns. fitE~ deparrrt des not support establishing ;s ~r'at~rtum ~~~se p !a are in pi~~ that the Smote to approve or disapprove a reoverl~erst relee of netaealiy engineered or~anistY'as. l,f~AA has the eacpertl tad re~o~rrees to evaluate and res~rtd to poter~tia! risks~to hurTtaras Brad the eravironn~ent, a tt=~ Staa~, has-the oppertunny to address Ion! con~rt~s, wh~aa needed. ~'tte esta~lshr~rtt of a i~;atoriurst, in this use, ao~ukd rat iracre~~ the an3auitt og protection to Na°~raaa's residents, iridu~tries, or' ~t~aRircnrs~aerr~, b+~t y instead, ~ua~ undue l~reiship to ethers In the agri^,.uittare sect~ar, such Ins t!~ papaya or seed industry, ®ffie existence depends on genets eragirteesing. Sinct~rely, MIE=S J. NAl6Afid~l~l Ch~irpar~n, 1~4a~ of AgMc~rlture , i f SP~IFIC 13UTTAL'TO SGI~~Ia (3I= TI~~ IT~TACCUItt4.°T>~<ST.'~'I'~1~I~~a~i°S ~'~~.F~ .4T TiI~ CC~i~~I~ITTI14~1a1~1'IIa1G Olai S~PTI~.I~I~I~I2 IOTI-I. T1aSTI1~I~3I~TY (~1~ ST1PI~A1~I~ ~~~~IaN ®F I-IA~C •'1'he i;th =a~h~reas staterraent is ~flsleading because tlac specialty Cc~ff~ ~'~?.s~ocaati~sn cf Arx~erisa did not ~~e inch ~ sta~~nt, Attached is the eTr~il fro~a fed Li~~gle, ~`xecr~tia~e .Director bf the 5~~:~ to Christie Sheppard President of the Koa~a Coffee Cou~zci(coa~~~~.ni`rrg the :~t4~teent. • [t is Sul€er €Iis~~ns,~;~g tl~~t tl€~re pg~.rcny l~~~n o i€~.F~-y tl~~ ioc~l director of the federal agency tit lass reg€~Ito~y oversight.. The C~~~:e Co€~t~~.~.1 h.s ~~~~il~~~ (since ~llth), ~~~rittgn a~~d faked (J~.ly 1 nth) to several ~aten~aers of th-e ~p~~~~t of A~gric~~ltt~re iracl~~ding Ch~~a~a ~a~°to~i. No reply has bee~a recei~=e~~ that al.~i'resses this iss€ae. • There e no GIlrI coffee pla~ats infield testing and here never avers..... there are no test pla.€~t,~ in tlae f~cld or grecnho~c, ,~tta€~ed i s the ear€~ail • ~~~p `itte~;~seer of i„1,~ date A.t.~grsst 1 ~ ~,=hich ,~tca'es that CI'~~~ "ca~i~e;~ree"r lan.F.s :3n Cale were d~s?~~yed, a~#d t:t .AC`s ~la~~}s pare secured in. a greenhouse on Clah~. Tliw~71 A~~43'~..il'V 1 3C~li...~S Y~l.~7le~tlAA'3'3 l~ Ii~A~Ta7 • SVe n~~r~t~d ~l€.~t l~:s~r€_~as ~~~-~;~ic coffee f~€er;~ I€ave Keen ~er~~€~d~4 t-h~t their orcl~~ €ay be ~t ~€-s€'ea~o€~a~le ri.3l~ fro eonv~~:tion~l f~~g~ avho ~visl~ to $~nprove their ~~cl~:~;~ i~ cof'r~e l~rR°~ Mi:n~ l~i~tbh:o4~_ e .~p~r~cg~te tl~~ co~~c of the organic farmers =yvho l~a~ €1€i_s resol~tioa~ ~a~gl€t before this ba~iy.... I'Iae h:on~~ C~ee Coa,~:~~~: il, the ~o~~~~ .l~'artners Ah`iace; the .Ko~•x ~ac~~c ~a~~ers Cooper~rtive anc! the 1-Iaavaii Coffee Association. are not or-ganivatios of orga~~ic f~3f2~'~'s. ~~#.~~~'~~~gh ~t3;~€f` ~Z~" i~~'~lp"s 1~~~, ` ~~F'g€tc y~~"?~i~?~'~' (:~~d?ea~~€'i f~~ t~#~' Kona Cca,~`~e Council ~je do ~f ~-.no~.t hon. tiny _n~r re~°ot-r~ €1~~~~ sep~ra~tely), the orgat~iz~€tio~as c~4~~€~ for c~ ~~:or~€`or~€aar-the b~,~t e~`,~:.~!.~ .l~`ont€ ,comae f~~r~~ers. It is riot an organic iss~~e it is a nzarlteting issue. T~STII~d€~NY C3I~ I~Y111~ ~YOI>tG GP I31~PAIZT'i€~'3'I' ®P AGItICUI.,TLTI~ • Iteg€alato~g+ protocol is already in place I attach a letter frown James l0~ca,~ata~~i of .L)afA dated Sept~~ibe~-1 ~ va~hich describes the protocols ire place as allowing the ,State to approve or disapprove, rind the State has the opport€¢nity to a~Iress local concerns, jra°her-~ taeeded. his is ~aot a protocol Phat ancdudes the Kona coffee ar~d€trtry in any may. It f~°ther sta~`es that the USDA ,ai'~virla,. t~,~:a,v i ic-Ra..= ~ksu~yv h..,. ~J ~v~~~,~~~t~c t~~~ ~s ~a ~ t~ ~~~~~~°ar~~at. 71~s dais raot pr-at~et a~~ :sit€~?~~ f~ aw,~y. • leto pl~~ts ~ve~a; eves glad in fi~id ~i~s. All ~a~~~xts ~e~ rr~~i~~~d i~ co~~~.i€i ~tt~ #s t~ ~'~ip ~ of III cl ~~;g~~~ 12 st~t~.s t~a~F' C7`~ "~~~i~€~ a~ C~a~s a~e~~ ~~°a~~~l, tit ~,~'s pl.ts seea.~ a~~ cs ~.~~~~~s~ r~~ C~~3~= 'F~,S'I'i€~i' t~ F~L~d'~ ~..~C~-~ C3~'I"~ k s~ ~CC~~3~~C I~~~~~ ~dv~~i~€ 7: ~'C~ s NE~~~ r~~eiv~sf a~~? ~aa~y,~~~~ d~,~v~ ~p~~~s (~s,~~ beck cas re~o~°~s to ~ ~a). • ~o~~ i coffee ~o~e dc~~;~a X10 ~~~s i~ t~ 3~~ ~~cg~~ t~ ~~s ~~~st a~~ 1 - t~ ~atx nay t ~v~~, ~x~~~ ~~~-,~t~~~~ a tt~ 'a.~>~~~, fay- t~ ~t?~ • Co~~: ~:~ves~ is oven i~ (i co~~~: ~y ~o~~ ~ ~~~~1 Kam ca~~~ ~aa~E~st .s .la~,~`ar- ta~~ ~~=~t~~~ ~,~~.a~~,~ ~t~ as ~~~~a~€~.1`~ ~1~ ~~st ~ace,~.~ ~x~i ~pt~€.~~~ • i o~v ~ over i~~ds, i~ it zs g~a~3~~t~~~~ ~~'da~t~ r~ ~a~t a~~~ ~ ~ t l~a~ ~€l~~k,~ ail ~ :~~~.1# t a~~;~~~ ~ ~y~ ~=z~~.