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Hawaii Floriculture & Nurse 0D °ssociation
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Testimony for the 9th Session
Hawai'i County Council
25 Aupuni Street, Room 1401,
Hilo,HI 96720
Tuesday,November 5th,2013
Regarding Bill 113—An Ordinance Amending Chapter 14 of the Hawaii County Code, by Adding a
New Article Relating to Genetically Engineered Crops and Plants
We Strongly Oppose Bill 113
My name is Eric S. Tanouye and I am the current President for the Hawaii Floriculture and
Nursery Association. HFNA is a statewide umbrella organization with approximately 300 members.
Our membership is made up with breeders, hybridizers,propagators, growers, shippers, wholesalers,
retailers, educators, and the allied industry,which supports our efforts in agriculture. In 2011 our
industry's sales were approximately 70 million in sales and of these sales approximately 60%are from
the Big Island, sales that help inject money into our local economy.
• This bill implies that GMO crops are not healthy and/or dangerous and places a stigma
on crops that are GMO and the people who grow them, when there is a broad scientific
acceptance that GMO's are safe.
• HFNA supports science,technology, innovation and the freedom of choice and opposes
any legislation that negatively targets crops made through genetic engineering.
• Floriculture is a non-edible agriculture,the argument of whether or not GMO crops are
healthy or not does not concern our industry in regards to food safety but this bill will
limit our choice on how to improve our products.
This bill seeks to stop farms from being able to improve their crops and safeguard versus new diseases
and pests that could put their production at risk. It is important to look to the future of our agriculture
industry and not handicap ourselves with laws that seek to close the door on technology. With disease
and pest resistant plants we would be able to use less herbicides and pesticides,which would lower
costs for farmers and also have a greater yield of product, allowing our sector in agriculture to improve
efficiencies as well as to seek to reduce environmental impact.
That is why we would like to request the council to Oppose Bill 113. If you have any
questions at this time, I would be happy to discuss them and can be reached by phone at 808-959-3535
ext 22,cell 960-1433 and email eric a •reen s ointnurse ,_corn.
Supp , ing -griculttlre and Hawaii,
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t r c S. anouy \?
President Comm. •. • 1
Hawaii Floric ture and Nursery Association Ref. To: • L: t
Ref. Date NOV 15 1
•l:.:lawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association • P.O. Box 4400 • I iil°. ill 96720 Ph: 808-959-3535