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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.429 2012-2014 Page 1 of 1 Murashige, Laura COUNTY CLERK COUNTY 07 HAWAII From: Rachel Laderman [rachel.laderman @gmail.com] Sent: Monday, May 27, 2013 3:01 PM 3 NAY 28 AN 9 To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us; zkern @co.hawaii.hi.us; gilagan @co.hawaii.hi.us Subject: support of Bill 79 Attachments: Yes on Bill 79- Laderman.doc To the Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Council; I live in District 1, in Hakalau, on a 20 acre organic farm growing vegetables,fruits, sheep, and chickens. I have a Masters in Regional Planning and Water Resource Protection and worked for over 20 years as an Environmental Health Specialist. Myself, husband and family are very supportive of organic and Natural Farming methods, rehabilitating this old sugar cane land's soil, and being part of a community of small farmers. We are very opposed to genetically engineered crops. We are extremely supportive of Bill 79 and the opportunity to stop the uncontrolled experimentation of genetic engineering on Big Island. I would like to address some of the points raised in the"con"testimony on May 14th Alicia Maluafiti, a lobbyist for Monsanto, spoke about biotech transforming farmers' lives, allowing farmers to adapt and survive and be more productive, and stated that poor farmers needed a choice. GE crops do transform farmers' lives—they make them beholden to the patent owners of their crops so that they cannot even save seed legally. They expose them to massive doses of pesticide applications. If their pollen blows onto their neighbor, it transforms the neighbor's life,too—they can be taken to court by Monsanto for using their patented product! If this neighbor is an organic farmer, their crop is no longer organic. Mr. Mochida, the GMO papaya farmer who testified that organic is only a method and would not be harmed by contamination,was wrong. The USDA Organic Certification program states"Organic crops: The USDA organic seal verifies that irradiation, sewage sludge, synthetic fertilizers, prohibited pesticides, and genetically modified organisms were not used." (From USDA Agricultural Marketing Service fact sheet, see http://www.ams.usda.gov/ and go to"National Organic Program." No papayas grown on the island can be safely sold as organic without individual testing. The fact is that GMO farming takes choice AWAY—away from organic farmers and thousands of people on this island that want to feed their families non-GMO foods. As for farmer's being able to adapt and survive, yes,we need to be able to do that, and one of the best ways is to be able to save seed and raise crops uniquely adapted to our microenvironments, but this is not allowed with GMO seeds. Another way to survive as a farmer is to be able to market our produce anywhere. Right now, Japan is getting its soy from Canada rather than Hawaii because Canadian soy is GMO free. Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine are on their way to GMO labeling, and Whole Foods is requiring all who sell at their hundreds of stores to label their products. The demand for non-GMO is skyrocketing! (See New York Times articlehttp://www.nytimes.com/201 3/05/27/business/food-companies-seekinq-ingredients-that-arent-gene-altered.html? pagewanted=l& r=4&ref=business&) As for Susan Miyasaka's assertion that she could not find credible research on ill effects of GE crops, new research on the ill health effects of GMO and glyphosate(aka Roundup) is coming out every week. For example, see this article published last month in Entropy 2013 15(4), 1416-1463, "Glyphosate's Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosyntheses by the Gut Microbiome. Pathways to Modern Diseases,"seehttp://www.mdpi com/1099-4300/15/4/1416. It makes sense to me that an herbicide would impair our gut bacteria, and it may explain my own family's experience. In the late 80's,just when GMO corn and soy were introduced, my children developed numerous food intolerances and allergies, and my husband became gluten intolerant. My daughter, the youngest has it the worst-she cannot eat any soy, corn, or dairy without developing anaphylactic symptoms; she wears a mask when traveling and always carries an epi-pen. Something is wrong with our food supply, and we need to stop experimenting on our children, and our planet, before it is too late to fix it. One last thought—although I could go on. The testimony you heard against Bill 79 was all from people who have money invested in GMOs, but they are a small percentage compared to the majority of citizens and farmers that do NOT use GMO or want to eat GMO or have it grown around them. Please listen to the majority of your constituents! This bill gives the GMO farmers time to adapt and transition to non-GMO farming. Mahalo for your strength, for utilizing the Precautionary Principle, and for voting yes on Bill 79. Sincerely, 7/ a 9 Comm. No. Rachel Laderman, Hakalau, HI 96710 Ref.To: PiPSM7G. Ref. Dote JUL U 2013 5/28/2013 Hi,my name is Rachel Laderman,and I am a resident of Hakalau. I also represent three other residents of Hakalau - Dan Kelly, David Oana,and Jeffrey Moss. I am testifying in support of Bill 79. I have worked for MIT editing a genetics journal, and for over 20 years as an Environmental Health specialist where my job was researching health hazards and determining if they warranted enough concern to be communicated to the public. Genetic modification of foods is one of the most serious health and environmental threats I have researched. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine urges (quote) "Physicians to educate their patients,the medical community,and the public to avoid GM foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks." This accredited institution states that animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food consumption including infertility,immune dysregulation, accelerated aging,dysregulation of genes associated with cholesterol synthesis,insulin regulation"'and more. The Academy calls for a moratorium on genetically modified food and to immediately begin long term independent safety testing and labeling. Bill 79 will allow the county to regulate existing GMOs and limit new species rather than having them spread throughout the island without residents'knowledge or consent. I heard the concern at the last hearing that passing Bill 79 would send a bad message to people about Hawaii's papaya exports. However,when 30 other countries have banned GMOs,64 countries require labeling,and large stores such as Whole Foods and Target are going all or partly GMO-free,the fact that Hawaii exports all GMO papayas is not just a p.r.problem that can be hidden or ignored at the expense of the future well-being of the island. While governments and consumers are turning away from GMOs,the demand for organics is rising at 20% per year. Small local organic farms such as the ones I support along the Hamakua coast are the true future of sustainability for the island, not genetically modified crops whose seeds we cannot even save to regrow,and that rely so heavily on imported pesticides. Help make Hawaii island a sanctuary for healthy food. The sooner we stop allowing genetically modified crops on the island,the less of an expensive clean-up there will be to try to"get the Genie back in the bottle." r. Q o Mahalo, r`c- Rachel Laderman t -1 P.O. Box 100036(31-623 Kamaee Rd) Hakalau, HI 96710 -T1 c, 360-704-9971 rn 4Q D� 'http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html © —