HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.327 2012-2014 Page 1 of 3
Murashige, Laura COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY Of- HAWAII
From: Haley Graham [hmgdearheart @gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, July 01, 2013 7:48 AM 2013 JUL — 1 AM E 38
To: bford @co.hawaii.hi.us; counciltestimony @ co.hawaii.hi.us; dkanuha @co.hawaii.hi.us;
donishi @co.hawaii.hi.us; gilagan @co.hawaii.hi.us; goodvibes1378 @yahoo.com;
jyoshimoto @co.hawaii.hi.us; keoff @co.hawaii.hi.us; mwille @co.hawaii.hi.us;
vpoindexter @co.hawaii.hi.us; zkern @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Bill 79 Support Testimony! Haley Graham
My name is Haley Graham and I am writing on behalf of the honeybees, organic farmers,
and concerned members of our community. I am a passionate, novice beekeeper who is part
of an organic farm, providing our community with fresh, sustainably grown whole foods. I
am an advocate for food sovereignty and believe whole-heartedly that caring for the land
means caring for our people.
Chemical companies like Monsanto are endangering our food supply by manipulating and
controlling virtually every aspect of crop production.
A major contributor to food sustainability is the work of our natural pollinators, such as the
honeybee. Bees are responsible for one third of the world's food supply and 90 percent of
fruits and vegetables. On a national level: To get an idea of the magnitude of the importance
of bees, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that without bees to act
as pollinators, the United States alone could lose up to $20 billion worth of crops annually.
On a local level: In addition to the numerous foods we rely on import here in Hawai'i, bee
pollination is responsible for many crops that we grow locally: acerola, avocado, atemoya,
beans, cantaloupe, cherimoya, coffee, cucumber, custard apple, guava, gourds, lemon, lime,
macadamia, mango, mammee apple, melon, mountain apple, oranges, pulasan, pumpkin,
rambutan, squash, starfruit, surinam cherry, watermelon, zucchini, and more; $44,427,000
produced by just a handful of these Hawai'i crops alone.
Unfortunately, bees everywhere, particularly here on the Big Island, are disappearing.
Recent studies are finding that in addition to the threat of newly introduced pests, a cause of
death among honeybees is linked to genetically modified seeds produced by Monsanto. In
2012, an epidemic swept through commercial bee colonies killing up to 50% of the nations'
bee colonies used to pollinate crops for farmers. Hawai'i's statistics are even more
devastating. Common reports amongst Big Island beekeepers I have met claim recent hive
losses up to as much as 90 percent!
Comm 1 I. 3 2.7
Ref. To i.rs 1M7G
Rof. Date JUL 0 2 2013
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Dozens of other countries have already banned the production, import, and/or selling of
GMOs as well as demanded that genetically modified foods be labeled. Poland announced it
would ban growing Monsanto's genetically modified MON810 maize, stating that "pollen of
this strain could have a harmful effect on bees." One of the main theories of colony collapse
disorder (CCD) is that it's being caused by genetically engineered crops—either as a result
of the crops themselves or the pesticides and herbicides applied on them, such as Roundup.
European scientists have linked bee declines to neonicotinoids, neuro-active insecticides
chemically related to nicotine, which are incorporated into plants grown from genetically
altered seeds produced by Monsanto. The neonicotinoids are suspected to be the culprit in
the mass die-off of bees in both Germany and Spain. In response to this research, the
European Union has already proposed a ban on the seeds. Conversely, here in the United
States, the leading bee research company (Beeologics) was bought by Monsanto in 2011
after the company was first accused of being a key player in bee colony collapses. Since
then, little has been heard on the subject. The rapid decline of the honeybee population has
substantial economic consequences for agriculture and even more importantly, their
wellbeing reflects the future and sustainability of the world's food supply.
Monsanto's Roundup is the most widely used herbicide in the world and it's used profusely
in our own community. The average homeowner who's simply trying to maintain a weed-
free garden loves it because it's cheap, works fast, and gets the job done. But while keeping
the weeds away, Roundup (and other chemical solutions) seeps into the soil, contaminates
our water, and gets absorbed by every plant in the surrounding spray-zone. Often
overlooked, another way that these chemical herbicides are spread is through pollinating
insects, such as the honeybee, carrying the poison from one plant to another as she's out
foraging. The consequences of Roundup are incalculable, but the bottom line is the same:
how we care for the land and maintain our food crops directly affects the quality of what we
are putting into our bodies. If we use poison to maintain the growth of our food, then we are
essentially poisoning ourselves. Monsanto and GMOs are devastating the variety, quality,
and safety of our food.
Monsanto was founded in 1901. From 1903 to 1983 (that's only 80 short years), 93% of
seed varieties have been lost to industrialized agriculture, and no doubt, a great influence of
the Monsanto Company. Monsanto's quest to control the seeds, and thus the food, of the
world is a severe threat to the few natural varieties still remaining. With limitations set on
the cultivation of genetically altered seeds and the demand for GMO labeling, then perhaps
over time GMOs will disappear due to the fact that the vast majority of consumers will
reject them. The passing of Bill 79 would be one big small step in the direction of
reclaiming the health and quality of our food. A Hawai'i without GMO's is agriculturally
sustainable and provides an environment that encourages and supports the honeybees and a
thriving Big Island community.
7/1/2013
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Mahalo
"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one
can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye. " — The Fox, Antoine
de Saint-Exupery' s "The Little Prince"
7/1/2013