HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0393.415 2012-2014 Page 1 of 1
Murashige, Laura _ Ct l �. ,,
From: Michael Shintaku [mhshintaku @gmail.com] { ] 5 ' Q. 52
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2013 8:06 AM � � �`
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Bill 113
My name is Michael Shintaku. I grew up on a farm in Kau. My grandfather and father were
career farmers but I left the farm and got a PhD in Plant Pathology from Cornell University in
1991. Shortly after, I got a job here at UH-Hilo in the College of Ag where I teach genetics,
microbiology and plant pathology. I am not speaking on behalf of the University, just myself.
I strongly oppose this bill.
A thing should be banned because of a property. Because it's dangerous. Not because of the technology that gave rise to it.
This technology gave rise to corn with insect resistance, soy with herbicide resistance, and papaya with virus resistance.
These crops are very different from each other to begin with, and the engineered traits are very different from each other.
If there was proof that Bt corn caused harm then that crop should be recalled and banned, not ALL transgenic plants.
This bill is based on the precautionary principle. We don't know for sure this thing is safe so let's not accept it. How many
generations need to pass before we believe this thing is safe?We don't know.
But one thing we know for sure, is that food is not safe. This past summer 162 people, 5 in Hawaii, were infected with hepatitis
A virus from eating organic berries. Seventy one of those people were hospitalized.
Almost exactly a year ago, 33 people in 5 states were sickened by E. coli 0157:H7 from eating organic spinach. Fifteen of
those people were hospitalized and 2 had kidney failure.
We don't ban all organic produce when something like that happens. We make them do a recall, clean up, make some
changes, maybe go out of business. It would be ridiculous to ban all organic food because of some berries and spinach. And
banning all gmo crops is even more ridiculous because nobody has even shown a connection with disease. The science is
solid. Transgenic crops are exactly as dangerous as their nontransgenic counterparts.
Thank you.
Michael Shintaku Professor of Plant Pathology UH-Hilo-College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Management
Comm.No 3 9.3, 41/,S
Ref.To P Qgr i/
Re{,per, NOV 192013
11/15/2013