HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0385.049 2012-2014 Page 1 of 1
Murashige, Laura
From: Hawaii Cattlemen's Council [hicattlemens @hawaii.rr.com]
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 3:28 PM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Testimony for Bills 109, 113
Attachments: Testimony Against Bills 109 and 113.pdf
See the attached Testimony for Bills 109, 113.
Mahalo,
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Stacie Francis rn c
Executive Secretary
Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc. w
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PO Box 437199 �--
Kamuela Hi 96743
Ph: 808/885-5599 Fax: 808/887-1607
hicattlemens @hawaii.rr.com W
www.Hlcattle.org
Comm. No., 3 gs. 449
Ref. To: P/R l7C
Ref. Date S P Q 4 ZQ13
9/3/2013
Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.
P 0 Box 4371.99 Ramada Hi 96743
Phone ;891 885-5599 Fax :808, 887 1607
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Hawaii County Council
Committee on Public Safety & Mass Transit
Wednesday September 4, 2013 1:30 p.m.
RE: Testimony Against Bills 109 and 113
Committee Chair Ford and Members of the Committee:
My name is Alex Franco, and I am a rancher and the President for the Hawaii Cattlemen's Council. The
Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc. (HCC) is the Statewide umbrella organization comprised of the five county
level Cattlemen's Associations. Our 130+ member ranchers represent over 60,000 head of beef cows; more
than 75% of all the beef cows in the State. Ranchers are the stewards of approximately 25% of the State's
total land mass.
The Hawaii Cattlemen's Council Strongly Opposes Bills 109 & 113 because any anti-GMO legislation in
Hawaii County will discriminate against our farmers and ranchers who choose to use approved genetic
engineered technology to grow safe and wholesome food and other agriculture products. These Bills also
damage Hawaii's reputation for producing some of the best crops on the planet, harms our markets, and
eventually destroy our agriculture industry.
Our Position at HCC is not necessarily pro or Anti GMO. We are pro-farming and the right to farm
in the United States of America, still a free country, under laws of and regulated by the USA and the
State of Hawaii.
HCC supports all types of farming & ranching; Natural, organic, conventional and cutting edge (including
GMO, or other science advanced forms) and does not try to endorse one over the other. We don't see that
the advancement of one, should be at the risk or detriment of the other. In fact, in the beef industry, we
believe it is detrimental for all, if one attempts to market their product by saying or implying the other is bad
for consumers. We believe we need to support each other and market our own niche with sensitivity.
There is no rational science based reason to limit the growing or consumption of GMO products. The
Growing and consumption of GMO crops is one of the most regulated industries in the United States,
regulated by the FDA, EPA and USDA.
With over one trillion servings of biotech foods consumed by the public, there has never been a documented
incident of any harm to the health of consumers, despite what you may read on the internet.
Hawaii's farmers and ranchers may need virus resistant GMO crops to protect Hawaii from the next papaya
virus strain, banana bunchy top virus. tomato spotted wilt and other vegetable viruses, or the bacterial citrus
greening disease that is destroying the Florida citrus industry and may soon come to Hawaii. Furthermore.
this bill will stop development of GMO ornamental and floral crops with enhanced horticultural or disease
resistant characteristics. l hese Bills would prohibit livestock and aquaculture producers from efficiently
grow ing cost effective feed locally. requiring them to import at a higher price the exact same feeds. Flow
ill Hawaii County farmers and ranchers compete when everyone but us has access to GE technology'.''
The consensus of independent scientific organizations worldwide is unanimous and can be summed up by
this statement from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, The science is quite clear:
crop improvement by the modern molecular techniques of biotechnology is safe."
Please do not give into the fear-mongers and pseudoscience conspiracy theorists spreading lies on social
media. When these conspiracy theorists strongest argument in dispute of rational science from such federal
agencies and organizations such as the Food & Drug Administration, The National Academy of Science, the
American Medical Association or even our own Hawaii Attorney General is "Monsanto paid them off', I
hope you folks can see what farmers and ranchers are having to deal with these day, rather than taking care
of our farms and feeding people the most wholesome food in the world.
In the words of Mark Lynas, one of the original Anti-GMO activists, now a GMO supporter (and subject to
hate mail and death threats similar to the many who do speak up in support of GMO's): "1 think the
co/Itrorcrst' over ( \iOs represents one 01 the greatest science communications ,failures of the pat hall-
century. 11i/lions, possibly billions. 01 people have come to believe what is essentially a conspiracy theoy.
geacrating fear and misunderstanding about a whole class of technologies on an uilp/eccdentedlt' glohai
cale. Imp: yvssis.rnmrkIsr}a!,.ur=c20H 04 time to-caLout-the-.tiati- rno-conspir -theors
Thank you forgiving me the opportunity to testify on this very important issue.
Please vote against Bill 109 and Bill 113
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Alex Franco
HCC President