HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0882.047 2006-2008
Page I of 1
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Murashige, Laura
From: Alan Takemoto [atakemoto@hfbf.org] RE(V [ V`U
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 4:30 PM
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us ZN JflN 7 PM 4 28
Cc: 'Alan Takemoto' C0; 10,r_
Subject: Testimony on Reso 462 and Reso 463 COU]V7JF ~ 1AZAJl
Attachments: BI Reso Ban on Coffee Testimony.doc; BI Reso Ban on Taro Testimony.doc
To County Council Clerk,
Please find attached testimony on Reso. 462 and Reso. 463 for the hearing scheduled before the Committee on
Environmental Management, January 8, 2008, 2 pm.
Please make 15 copies and submit our testimony accordingly.
If any questions, please call me at 848-2074.
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 ._n
2 M
Ref. To:
4WE
Ref. Date 2008
1/7/2008
Ham Farm Bureau
P E D E R A i l O 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 5, 2008
Chair Bob Jacobson
Hawaii County Council
Committee on Environmental Management
Hilo, Hawaii
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 Jacobson and Members of the Committee on Environmental Management:
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.