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Murashige, Laura
From: Guy Ward [guybward @gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2013 10:04 AM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Bills 109 & 113
Attachments: Testimony Bills 109 & 113.docx
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Ref. Date SEP 4 4 20i1
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Testimony Regarding Bills 109 and 113
Guy Ward
147 Nene St.
Hilo, HI 96720
September 2, 2013
Members
Hawaii County Council
I am writing to urge you to reject bills 109 and 113, which
would curtail the use of biotechnology. GMO crops are a safe
and effective way for producers to meet the increasing
challenges in food production and to feed a growing
population. Biotechnology has enabled producers to produce
more with less demand on our natural resources. Reduced
tillage conserves fuel and soil and higher yields allow for more
production on less land. The American Medical Association,
the World Health Organization, and other credible groups have
endorsed the safety of GMO crops.
The anti-GMO movement has cited the concurrence of GMO
crops with declining American health metrics. Also concurrent
with our nation's declining health has been increased
electricity use, much larger cars and trucks, a tremendous
increase in the use of cell phones and computers, an increase in
the consumption of sugar and fat, and a decline in human
physical activity. My sense is that our nation's decline in
health is due to the latter two factors. No, Council members
Ford and Wille, you are not being poisoned by Monsanto, you
are being poisoned by your own personal life style choices.
Please take responsibility for your health and let scientists do
science and farmers do farming.
As the climate changes, diseases and pests spread and evolve,
and, as the population grows, food insecurity is destined to
occur in much of the world, but probably not for a long time in
the developed world. And will those who want to stop
progress in food production be like Marie Antoinette and
suggest that the hungry of the Third World live on organic
vegetables?
The anti-GMO hysteria of the 2000s has much in common with
the anti-communist hysteria of the 1950s. It is a hysteria based
on things that simply are not true. Monsanto is not some evil
entity plotting world domination, GMO crops do not contain
sinister poisons, the world is not at risk from toxic pollen, and
GMO food does not cause autism or diabetes or any other
malady. The anti-GMO movement is based on falsehoods and
unfortunately threatens our ability to conserve our natural
resources and feed the world's people.
In the not too distant past our island produced a much larger
proportion of our own food and agriculture was an important
part of our economy. The importance of agriculture has been
substantially displaced by tourism, military spending, financial
transfers, and the servicing of the very wealthy. Recently a
developer of luxury houses bragged to the newspaper how he
destroyed a 500 tree orchard to create "something beautiful".
Is this our future, to destroy agriculture to make room for the
very wealthy? Farmers need support, not totally misguided
prescriptions on how to farm. I do not raise any GMO crops,
but I can envision a time when the technology may be as
important to me as it is to the papaya farmers. The bunchy top
virus is here, the coffee berry borer is here, there are serious
diseases of taro waiting to come here. In a time when plants
and animals can travel by air it is prudent that we be prepared.
Let the scientists help us to be prepared and let the farmers
use the best technology to produce our crops.
Bills 109 and 113 are anti-agriculture travesties and deserve a
place in the bottom of the rubbish can.
Thank you,
Guy Ward