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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271a.012 2012-2014 J Yoshimoto From: Joy Gold <joy @hfbf.org> Sent: Wednesday,July 24, 2013 5:00 PM To: Brenda Ford; Dennis Onishi; Dru Mamo Kanuha; Greggor Illagan;J Yoshimoto; Karen Eoff; Margaret Wille;Valerie Poindexter;Zendo Kern Cc: 'Dean Okimoto' Subject: Written Testimony Opposing Bill 79 Attachments: HFBF_HiCounty_July30_13_Bill79.pdf Aloha Hawaii County Council Committee on Public Safety and Mass Transit, On behalf of HFBF President Dean Okimoto I have attached written testimony in opposition to Bill 79 for the July 30, 2013 decision making hearing. Please call me at the HFBF office, 808-848-2074 if there are any questions about the testimony submittal. Thank you, Joy Gold Joy Gold Interim Executive Director Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation 2343 Rose Street Honolulu, Hawaii 96819 808-848-2074 www.hfbf.org Support Your Local Farmer-Join HFBF Today! Call 848-2074 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s)and may contain confidential and privileged information.Any unauthorized review, use,disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. N () rJ G) r w -4 — J ,y r� Comm. No 2 Ref. To: ,a-710 . . 1 1 Rol'. Clare �- Hawaii Farm Bureau F E D E R A T I O N 2343 Rose Street, Honolulu, HI 96819 Phone: (808) 848-2074; Neighbor Islands: 1-800-482-1272 Fax: (808) 848-1921; e-mail: info @hfbf.org Hawaii County Council Committee on Public Safety and Mass Transit July 30, 2013 Testimony in Opposition to Bill 79 Relating to Genetically Modified Organisms Dear Councilwoman Wille and members of the committee, My name is Dean Okimoto and I am the State President of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation which is a non-profit organization representing about 2,000 farm families statewide, of which 500 reside on Hawaii Island. On behalf of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, we strongly oppose Bill 79 which will ban the production of genetically modified organisms on the Big Island. Bill 79 will have a negative impact to Big Island farmers and businesses overall. It will set an unwarranted precedence that has no facts or scientific data to justify such a ban on science. This bill is not only anti-science, but it is also anti business in a State that has the worst record for businesses. Bill 79 has unnecessarily divided the farmers and the community. As farming is one of the most difficult careers to be successful at,this bill will make it even tougher and may even close some farm operations. It will discourage farmers to seek science and innovation to expand and grow new products. While I understand that there may be an attempt to exempt the existing commodities on the Big Island, it is still a red herring that makes them a bad actor while being exempt under an ordinance that prohibits genetically modified organisms. It will discourage the local and world market to purchase papaya and other products from Big Island and Hawaii overall. Why would any real farmer want to grow under these restrictive and negative conditions? We need to surround them with positive policies that will encourage them to expand, develop, and invest. Agricultural biotechnology has been a part of farming for decades. Through science and technology, farmers and ranchers have become more efficient, productive and concise in an effort to grow more with less. Genetically modified organism is another tool in the farmer's tool box to address pest, disease and possibly drought. The USDA, FDA, and EPA and the State all regulate the agricultural biotechnology crops. The large seed farmers in Hawaii have had many benefits to Hawaii's small farmers. They bring a wealth of knowledge and resources to the small local farmers as they have the same or similar challenges of controlling pest and disease. The seed farmers bring in bulk loads of farm equipment and supplies thereby reducing the cost to the smaller farmer. They have set aside HFBF—Dean Okimoto Page 2 Bill 79 land and resources to support small farming operations for local food production. And they have committed to Hawaii's youth in supporting scholarships and grants for those interested in an education in agriculture and science. If we want to help expand farming, we should be discussing those issues that impact all farmers and ranchers such as land, water, transportation, marketing, labor. We should be addressing real agricultural problems, not issues that stop progress and innovation. Bill 79 does nothing to move Big Island agriculture forward. Please vote in opposition to Bill 79.