HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0882.015 2006-2008
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Murashige, Laura
From: Alan Takemoto [atakemoto@hfbf.org]
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 3:58 PM
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Testimony on Res. 462-08/ 2
Attachments: BI Reso Ban on Taro Testimony.doc b c_
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January 23, 2008 Z 1 N rn
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TO: Hawaii County Clerks Office 3
Please find attached testimonies on Res. 462-08 for the County Councils hearing scheduled for tI q'irridrro6P '
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Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 8:30 am. Please make the appropriate copies for distribution. _
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Thank you for your immediate attention.
Alan Takemoto
Executive Director
Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation
2343 Rose Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96819
Phone: 808.848.2074
Fax: 808.848.1921
www.hfbf.org
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Comm. No. 8b'a.1S
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1/24/2008
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Hawaii Farm Bureau
F R D R R A T I D N
2343 Rose Street, Honolulu, HI 96819
Phone: (808) 848-2074; Neighbor Islands: 1-800-482-1272
Fax: (808) 848-1921; e-mail: info@hfbf.org
January 24, 2008
Chair Pete Hoffmann
County of Hawaii
Hawaii County Council
Res. 462-08, A Resolution Supporting SB 968hdl to Impose A 10-Year Moratorium on
Developing, Testing, Propagating, Cultivating, Growing and Raising Genetically
Modified Taro in the State of Hawaii, January 8, 2008 Environmental Management
Hearing
Chair Hoffmann and county council members:
My name is Alan Takemoto, Executive Director of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation
(HFBF), which is the largest non-profit general agricultural organization, representing
1,600 farm family members statewide.
The HFBF does not support moratoriums or restrictions on responsible, federally and
state approved genetic engineering research. It is our policy as well as the American
Farm Bureau's policy to support all growing practices and research and development for
organic, conventional and biotechnology methodologies.
We respect the cultural and traditional growing of Hawaiian taro cultivation. However,
we do not believe that we should be legislating such a ban on safe research and
technology that may set precedence that will negatively impact the overall agricultural
industry in Hawaii. We believe that all methods and tools should be made available to
the farmer or rancher so that they remain competitive in a global marketplace.
Our organization believes that miscommunication and misunderstanding of the
technology has spurred concerns in the agricultural community. As such, we have
coordinated a series of farmer to farmer dialogue on coexistence between organic,
conventional, and biotechnology. We believe this process of communication and the
recognition of many commonalities between farmers have brought a bought some
positive results.
We respectfully ask that Res. 462-08 be held in committee. Thank you for the
opportunity to present testimony.