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Larry Goldstein
Lokahi
267 Posts |
 Posted - 04/07/2008 : 04:50:00 AM
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Hawaii targets taro genetic modification
By MARK NIESSE
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
HONOLULU -- Lawmakers have approved a five-year moratorium on genetically modifying Hawaiian taro in the state, a compromise between researchers and farmers who consider taro a sacred plant.
The moratorium falls short of the demands of many taro farmers and Native Hawaiian groups who want taro to remain untampered with forever. They had sought a 10-year ban on alteration of the crop used to make the starchy food poi, a key ingredient in island cuisine.
"We wanted to keep taro pure," said Steven Hookano, a Maui taro farmer carrying a taro plant at the Capitol. "This is nothing but a time out."
Lawmakers approved the moratorium Thursday after more than a year of protests against genetic alteration from those who consider taro to be an ancestor of the Hawaiian people. Last year, activists surrounded the offices of legislators and shouted "Hear our bill!" in an effort to force the issue.
They finally achieved their goal when they got an eight-hour public hearing and a vote on the measure Thursday. It passed 9-3 in the House Agriculture Committee as senior House leadership monitored the vote. It now advances to the full House.
The proposed moratorium does not cover non-Hawaiian taro or Chinese varieties of taro, meaning altered varieties could potentially cross-pollinate with Hawaiian taro.
"The taro farmers are not going to be satisfied with this," said Rep. Colleen Meyer, a Republican, one of three lawmakers who voted against the bill.
Scientists praised the Legislature's compromise because it protects cultural rights while allowing research to continue in case deadly crop diseases reach Hawaii.
While cross-pollination between Chinese and Hawaiian taro varieties is possible, it's unlikely, said Cindy Goldstein, a manager for Pioneer Research Communications, a division of DuPont.
Research will help prevent diseases that have already devastated taro crops in parts of the South Pacific, she said. "In all crops, as a farmer, you face challenges of pests," she said. "We need research to combat a serious crop disease."
Genetic modification of taro would involve inserting disease-resistant genes from rice, wheat and grape crops, altering the basic structure of the plant.
Taro farmer Chris Kobayashi said the moratorium is meaningless unless it protects all varieties of the plant.
"Taro is the same whether it's Hawaiian or Chinese," she said after the hearing. "It should at least be a five-year moratorium for all varieties of taro."
Lawmakers decided to enact the moratorium after trying to find a way to appease both researchers and taro growers, said Rep. Clifton Tsuji, a Democrat and the committee's chairman.
"Supporters of this bill favored the moratorium primarily to protect taro, which is considered important to Native Hawaiian culture," Tsuji said before the vote. "Opponents of the moratorium generally indicated that biotechnology is necessary to increase crop yields, improve pest and disease resistance and advance scientific research."
Hawaii taro production was estimated at 4.5 million pounds in 2006, according to the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service. Farm prices increased 6 percent to an average of 57 cents per pound from the year before, and the value of sales was estimated at $2.6 million, up 10 percent from 2005.
No other states have banned genetic modification of any plant, but some areas of California have placed regional moratoriums on field tests of genetically modified rice.
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ypochris
Lokahi
USA
398 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2008 : 4:35:28 PM
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Notice a representative of Pioneer Seed was quoted- they are the reason a ban can't get passed. It isn't Taro specifically; they fight against any form of resistance to GMO crops. They are afraid that if people get their foot in the door, preventing modification of a single crop, others will follow and the United States will forbid genetic modification of food crops like the rest of the world (except Canada) has.
They say we need this in case crop diseases come- not that we don't already have most of the taro diseases anyway. Yet somehow farmers have managed without cross species genetic manipulation since the dawn of agriculture, and farmers everywhere in the world except North America are more than happy to do without it, as are the consumers for very valid reasons.
We kalo farmers are fortunate in that kalo (as well as most Hawaiian crops) is grown from clones rather than seed. Mention of cross pollination in this context is a red herring- the real danger is gene transfer via insect carried bacteria and viruses. This is real, this does happen, this has happened with other crops. However it is not the near certainty of contamination that pollinated crops suffer from.
We are told that GMO foods are absolutely safe, yet the stated reason for doing most of the experimentation in the world on GMO crops in Hawai'i is that Hawai'i is extemely isolated and has a small population. If it is so safe, why do they need to experiment somewhere isolated, with a small population?
Economic analysis (when not done by the companies producing the GMO seed) has shown that farmers who plant GMO crops earn less profit per acre than farmers who plant traditional varieties- while yield is increased, costs increase even more, and the extra income from increased yield and more goes to the producer of the GMO seed and related products (much of the effort in GMO development is to increase tolerance to poisons manufactured by the same company so more can be sprayed on the crop- ummm, tasty!)
If Americans were aware of the risks, we would never allow it. But we are fed propaganda instead of provided with facts. How many Ameicans have heard of Starlink corn? It was intended for animal feed, but a substantial amount got mixed into the human food chain. Many people were made sick as a result. But the terrible thing is that the gene cross pollinated itself into the U.S. corn supply. It can be found everywhere corn is grown in the Western hemisphere. So many more people are allergic to "corn" (not that the gene came from corn!) than used to be.
Everyone in Europe has heard of this- exports of corn to Europe, previously our major export market, dropped to virtually zero. The price of corn fell as a result, and NAFTA was passed in large part to allow us to export our unsalable product to new markets in Latin America. This dropped the wholesale price of corn so much that desperate farmers in Southern Mexico revolted against their government. Amazing that genetic modification of a plant can start a revolution! Oh, and then there is that little issue of job losses with NAFTA... Some would argue that this single gene is responsible for the economic problems of the United States.
Perhaps that is going too far, but I want my kalo to remain 100% kalo, with no extra-species or synthetically produced genes, thank you very much! We will deal with diseases as we always have, with selection of resistant mutations and modification of farming practices. Instead of trying to "help" us by genetically altering our crop, why don't you help us by giving us our water back? Because the real goal is not to help us, but rather to make money off of us?
I just can't go into this deeply enough- but I ask that you all research the issues yourselves (in scientific journals, not GMO producer funded popular press!) and understand what is being done to us, especially in Hawai'i. It is frightening!
Chris
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