HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.329 2012-2014 COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY 7 'IArnAI'I
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Hawaii County Council
Testimony in Strong Support of Bill 79
July 2, 2013
Aloha Chair Yoshimoto, and thank you for having us here today to testify. Big Mahalos
go to Margaret Wile for her foresight and courage to bring this bill forth.
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I know there is so much information to digest, that your heads must be spinning. Our
island is the bread basket for the state, we all know this, and everyone here wants to
create a solution that works. You folks have the chance now to make a difference in the
future of our island. The bill protects the papaya growers,the flower growers No one
wants to pit farmer against farmer.
I am a certified organic farmer in Kona, been doing it for 36 years. I raised my family
here, and realized many years ago that there is certain freedom in being able to send my
kids out to play on the farm, and I knew it was pesticide free. Now my grandkids get to
do the same thing. Most of the chemical pesticides are carcinogenic. I am a member of
the Farm Bureau, and was shocked when I attended the first convention, many years ago,
and there was a booth only selling insurance for cancer. Clearly everyone recognizes that
cancer is a risk factor in this business_ Organic food is NOT elitist. It is what the
consumers and farm workers both need to be safe.
Pesticides are my main concern. These large chemical companies are in the business of
creating pesticides, and when they worried about the patents running out and losing
money for their shareholders, they created these seeds, which go hand in hand with the
pesticides. If you buy the seed,you must buy the pesticide from them, not their
competitors. I have great sympathy for the folks here who have come all the way from
Kauai and Molokai to share with you that their families have been poisoned by these
chemicals. I am thankful that we have a large amount of land here that is not covered
with experimental crops. There will always be pesticides,but let's not open the
floodgates to numerous unknown substances.
My second main concern for support of this bill is economic. We have the opportunity to
create a vibrant non gmo seed source for the rest of the world. Remember we are talking
about our future here. These companies will not stop with just corn, soy, cotton, canola,
alfalfa and sugar beets. If we let down our guard, all crops will be gmo before we know
it. The large chemical companies are betting their money on contaminating all seed stock
everywhere. Once it is all contaminated, there is no turning back. This is biological
pollution, it is ALIVE. It keeps on reproducing itself.
In 2004 it was discovered that the researchers at UC Davis, had been sending out gmo
tomato seeds unknowingly. It was a mixup that went on for seven years. They sent them
out to research facilities all around the world. In 2008 it was discovered that long grain
gmo rice had contaminated thousands of acres, as a result of field trial at the University
of Louisiana. It cut exports to Europe. Billions of dollars in fines were levied. You all
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Ref. Dote JUL 0 2 2013
heard about the wheat in Oregon last month. These are the folks who are supposed to
know what they are doing.
I want to quote the speaker of the House in the movie Lincoln. When he was questioned
about voting on the anti slavery law,because it was unusual. He said" This is not usual,
this is history."
Mahalo
Una Greenaway
una(i)hawaii.rr.corn