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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.198 2012-2014 `Ca 2 TY CLERK COUNTY Aloha! My name is Colehour Bondera. I have an organic Kona coffee and diver fruitivvegeta 4 farm in Honaunau. I am a member of the Board of Directors of the Kona Coffee Fa Association (KCFAL I speak to you from the KCFA, representing more than 336 members (247 are Kona coffee farms). In order to ensure the most protection possible of heritage 100% Kona coffee, the Kona Coffee Farmers Association endorses the Hawaii County Council Bill 79, regarding prohibition of genetically modified organisms, as put forth by Councilperson Margaret Wille. The KCFA mission is, "to promote and protect Kona coffee farmers economic interests in 100% Kona coffee, to protect the Kona coffee heritage, and to seek greater legal protection of the Kona coffee name." Farmers in Kona know that we must look after our coffee, and not let other varieties or GMO coffee permanently contaminate our special heritage crop. With the 2008 Council and the Ordinance introduced by Angel Pilago, KCFA worked with others to protect Kona coffee heritage regarding GMO's. That ordinance,to protect GMO coffee and taro from being grown or researched in the County, passed unanimously. Now is time to reinforce group support of integrity and heritage protection, and stand with the majority of Hawaii County citizens to endorse the piece of legislation (Bill 79—Prohibition of Genetically Modified Organisms), being considered. The 2008 Ordinance was necessary due to concerns of field research of GMO Kona coffee and taro. KCFA worked side by side with taro. Working together with the others who do not want to allow GMOs means that a piece of legislation will have active support from a broader range of the island community, so that the County law is stronger, if challenged. Bill 79 lays out details for Registration, Enforcement and Penalties, when with with the body of the Bill means that it stands on its' own. Remember that we all (even us who are farmers) are consumers! Remember also that there is no "me" in the word or concept of community. We need to work across crops and with people island- wide to ensure that Kona coffee is best protected by our County. There is not a State or Federal law in this regard, so we must protect our community in order to retain the voice(s)that we deserve! Hawaii can produce our food and still export, instead of importing, but that means that proper value must be granted to Hawaii products. Organic is but one example of"niche" or"specialty" agriculture. Hawaii is not an easy place to make it economically, and crops of high value are an important factor for farmers to stay in business. As we recently saw in Oregon with GMO wheat field tests, the farmers are the ones who suffer economically when the GMO product comes back to make crops not salable. Much of the impetus for the findings and purpose of this Article to the County Code are based upon the concept that according to the State of Hawaii as well as the County of Hawaii, resources must be conserved. In order to do so, it is required to apply the precautionary principle. This means that if impacts (on humans, other species and/or environmental)of a choice are not fully known or understood, then it is legally required to err on the side of precaution to permit or experiment... Since the unknowns of all GMO efforts are significant, and since working in association with the broader interests of agriculture mean that Kona coffee will be yet more protected, adding this layer of protection to the existing County Ordinance will mean that we are ensuring that with precaution and such protection we can more readily promote Kona coffee, as the KCFA Bylaws require. 427/, / 9t COUNTY CLERK Comm. No. COUNTY OF HAWAI'I Ref. To: P/P S/'? TG RECEIVED r , Ref. Date JUL r t Time a i BY --LEA Date ? 2017)