HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0480.002 2010-2012Page 1 of 2
Murashige, Laura
COUNTY CLERK
mat' CQTIT 5 E,,, . NII
From: India Clark [indiadawn @gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 10:11 PM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Testimony for HSAC Package Resolution 11 -339 CD 1
7tU DEC -7 PH
TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF LABELING GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS
HSAC Package Resolution 11 -339 CD 1 (TB)
HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL MEETING, Wednesday, December 7, 2011
FROM: India Clark, Honolulu, HI 96712, (808) 284 -0305, indiadawn@gmail.com
gmail.com
To the Council Members of the City Council of Honolulu,
Aloha and thank you for this opportunity to offer testimony in support of labeling genetically modified
foods.
This testimony is written as plead asking you to help protect our families from genetically modified
organisms (GMOs). The heart of the matter is that we should feel confident that the food we buy will
not harm us.
I am 33 year old mother and have received my Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from UH
Manoa. I have taken the time to research the many negative consequences of GMOs, including their
alarming health impacts (such as organ damage, allergies and infertility), I now make a conscious daily
choice to avoid them in my diet by buying organic products and searching for local farmers using non-
GMO seeds. It is a challenge not only to search out non -GMO food but also to pay the extra price for
organic because non - organic food is not labeled if it is GMO or not. I must assume that all non - organic
food is GMO.
This is a commitment that many if not most others are unwilling or unable to make. This is precisely
why it is our and your duty to ensure that genetically modified foods are labeled.
I encourage you all to approach this issue with openness and a deep reflection on your responsibilities. It
is critical for you as decision makers to know that genetic engineering IS substantially different than
classical, natural breeding, and that classical breeding in agriculture has been proven to be vastly more
efficient and effective than genetic engineering, and without the unintended consequences. On a
personal note, it is ever more important to the health of your children.
In 2008, 60 governments signed the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology
for Development (IAASTD) report, which was produced by over 400 scientists from around the world
over a 3 -year period. This landmark assessment of global agriculture states that industrial agriculture has
failed and that genetically modified (GM) crops are not a solution for poverty, hunger, or climate
change. It recommends small -scale farming and agro - ecological methods as the way forward.
I urge you to please include and pass this floor draft for GMO labeling. Please do your part to allow
Hawai`i's families the right to full disclosure of what we are feeding our families and how our food
supply is being negatively impacted permanently for future generations.
12/7/2011
Comm. No.
Si8d.
Ref. To:
Ref. Date ..DEC 7 2At34......
Page 2 of 2
Mahalo nui loa for your time and deep reflection!
Sincerely,
India Clark
12/7/2011