Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, January 28, 2011
SB 713 & 712: Luddites attack Hawaii agriculture
By News Release @ 1:39 PM :: 6418 Views :: Energy, Environment

Senate Hears Anti-Biotech Bills: Testimony Needed

From www.hciaonline.com

The Senate Committee on Energy and Environment, chaired by Senator Mike Gabbard, and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, chaired by Senator Clarence Nishihara, will hold a joint hearing that includes two anti-biotech bills:

Tuesday, February 1, 2:55 p.m.  Hawaii State Capitol - Room 225

Please consider submitting testimony in opposition to SB 713 - Relating to the Labeling of Genetically Engineered Crops, and SB 712 - Relating to Genetically Engineered Plants.

Comments can be submitted on the web at the State Capitol website.  To learn more about how to submit written testimony, click on the Citizen's Guide and go to page 17.  This is your chance to be heard by your elected officials and support the important work of the biotechnology industry in Hawaii.

TALKING POINTS ON BILLS

 

SB 713 would require a label that says "Genetically Engineered" to be placed on whole foods sold in Hawaii.  Since the transgenic papaya is currently the only produce that would be targeted by this law, its passage would have catastrophic economic consequences on Hawaii's papaya farmers since the label is intended to scare people from purchasing the fruit. We oppose labeling because:

  • Labeling requirements, as regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, is intended to communicate information that is relevant to health, safety and nutrition.
  • In the scientific judgement of the FDA, there is no significant difference between foods produced using biotechnology and their conventional counterparts.
  • Further, the FDA's scientific evaluation of biotech foods continues to show that these foods are as safe as their conventional counterparts. 
  • With over one trillion servings of biotech foods consumed by the public, there has never been a documented incident of any harm to the health of consumers (unlike the recent ecoli and salmonella outbreaks involving non-GE produce).
  • According to the FDA, labeling focuses on the final product, not the process used to develop a food product.
  • Labeling from state-to-state would not only conflict with FDA guidelines, but would be costly and confusing to consumers and only serve to disparage foods improved by biotechnology.
  • People opposed to genetically engineered foods have the ability to choose produce that is already labelled "organic" - a marketing tool used by organic growers to differentiate their product and thereby enabling them to command a premium price over conventional and genetically engineered produce.
  • Our papaya farmers are already struggling and have suffered recent attacks against their farms - for whatever reason. Since they would be the first commodity to comply with unnecessary labeling required if this bill passed, it would be an economic burden to their long term viability and likely result in the loss of many small family papaya farming operations.

SB 712 would require the Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture to make public the location of field tests of genetically engineered plants.  If passed, researchers in the public and private sector would be at risk of million-dollar losses in theft and vandalism by eco-terrorists and other activists philosophically opposed to biotechnology.  We oppose this bill because:

  • Three U.S. regulatory bodies - the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review and evaluate agricultural biotechnology.
  • These agencies are provided information required for oversight including the location and the traits in the crop that lead to improved agricultural genetic charactistics.
  • Farmers who follow agriculture best practices know that discussions with neighbor farmers are necessary to ensure crop varietal purity - no matter if it is conventional, organic or biotech crops.
  • The USDA believes so strongly in the safety of biotech crops that it announced just last week that it will fully deregulate a variety of biotech alfalfa.
  • This decision comes after a comprehensive environmental impact statement (EIS) conducted by USDA which analyzed the potential environmental impact of RR alfalfa, and concluded that it is safe and does not represent a plant pest risk to other farmers or the public.
  • The decision was based on sound science and two decades of regulatory precedence, and it supports President Obama's pledge to support science-based decision-making.
  • Innovations brought about by agricultural biotechnology over the years allow growers to produce more food, feed and fiber on less land, often with significant environmental benefits. 
  • Our opposition to public disclosure of either regulated research or approved commercial biotech crops is based on fear of vandalism, or worse, threat of worker safety and destruction of crops by those not supportive of the technology.
  • We ask Hawaii lawmakers to share the commitment by President Obama to expand agriculture, to keep pace with the latest scientific developments, and to take into account the needs of all producers and all types of production.

---30---

For more information about the bills, please contact Alicia Maluafiti, HCIA Executive Director, at director@hciaonline.com.  We look forward to seeing your testimony!

RELATED:

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT