HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0393.168 2012-2014 CO :TY Cij7K
Date: November 5, 2013
2 13 NOV -5 PH 1: 29
To: \J. Yoshimoto, County Council Chair
Karen Eoff, Member
Brenda Ford, Member
Greggor Ilagan, Member
Dru Mamo Kanuha, Member
Zendo Kern, Member
Dennis `Fresh' Onishi, Member
Valerie T. Poindexter, Member
Margaret Wille, Member
From: Dennis Gonsalves
Subject: Oral Testimony against County Council Bill 113
My name is Dennis Gonsalves, a retired researcher. I was part of the team that
developed the virus resistant transgenic papaya. I strongly oppose Bill 113.
When I wrote my first testimony against Bill 79, I was rather sad because the bill
would divide the communities on Hawaii Island. The dividing affect of the bill has
come true, and you can be congratulated if that was one of the intents of the bill.
Contrary to what some people say that Hawaii Island is the last island that could be
GMO free. In fact, Hawaii Island grows more than 90% of the approved GMO crops
that are grown in the state of Hawaii. About 2000 acres of transgenic papaya and
750 acres of transgenic corn. Furthermore,the transgenic papaya has caused a
resurgence of papaya acreage on Oahu Island. In 1960, Oahu grew only 50 acres of
papaya; in 2008, 200 acres of Rainbow and the resistant cultivar Laie Gold were
grown. Transgenic papaya is safe for the environment and consumption despite
what people say in three minute sound bites; our data have been published with no
credible challenge.
Cross pollination ruining nonGMO farmers is big point of bill 113. I have yet to see
results where a certified organic papaya farmer lost its certification due to cross
pollination by transgenic papaya. In fact, co-existence of transgenic and
nontransgenic papaya has been practiced in Puna for 10 years. Papaya ringspot
virus is what caused the decline of nontransgenic papaya production in Puna. Cross
pollination by transgenic papaya causing serious harm to nonGMO papaya farms is a
figment of the imagination.
Finally, the intent of bill 113 reminds me of the words and moral of a song called
`One Tin Soldier'. In this song,an army wanted to take away something that some
people had and destroy them in the process. One might say to take away the tools
that innocent farmers are using to make a living on Hawaii Island. The chorus goes
like this:
Comm. No . 168
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Ref. Date IV 0 " U1
Go ahead and hate your neighbor go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of
heaven,justify it in the end. There won't be any trumpets blowin come the
judgement day, on the bloody morning after. One Tin Soldier rides away.
This bill is the Tin Soldier threatening to ruin Big Island farmers and ranchers by
taking away their tools. But I predict, the Big Island Farmers and Ranchers will not
sit back. They will fight and will overcome this terrible bill 113.
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