Urgent! Protect Natural Taro Root in Hawaii- Submit Testimony Today! Its easy!

Subject:

-Taro Deserves the Best Available Science-GMO-taro is claimed to potentially reduce one type of taro disease in one variety of taro by creating irreversible, unnatural genetic mutations whose safety to consumers and the environment is not scientifically proven. GMO-taro has no proven benefits to taro farmers or consumers and is not the best available science needed to safely perpetuate taro farming and protect consumers in Hawaii. Better and safer options exist. Long-term scientific studies and farming practices throughout the Pacific have resulted in proven scientific techniques to expand the local taro industry, protect unique Hawaiian taro varieties, farmlands and watersheds-- without GMOs. These community-accepted practices include: organically improving soil health, establishing appropriate water-flow standards to prevent disease and pests, stopping imports of diseased taro and pests into Hawaii, and growing many traditional varieties of natural taro with different natural disease resistance. Being that safer science exists, there is no need or demand for experimental GMO-taro from local taro farmers or consumers.

-Health and Environmental Safety Concerns about GMO-Taro-Taro is a nutritious food crop, especially cherished as a baby food and staple dish in Hawaii for centuries; and around the world as an important medicinal food for diabetes, cancer, autism and serious food allergies. Taro is the worlds only hypo-allergenic, or allergy-free, carbohydrate. GMO-taro, on the other hand, is not the same as natural taro. GMO-taro has never been in the human food supply before, and has NOT been scientifically tested on humans to prove that it is safe to eat. Moreover, the unnatural genetic mutations of GMO-taro can never be guaranteed to be hypo-allergenic, thus threatening consumers of this uniquely important medicinal food source. In fact, numerous scientific studies on laboratory animals show that GMOs can cause toxic, allergic, and even deadly reactions. Unnatural gene mutations introduced through GMO-taro may harm insects, birds, fish, and soil health. Risks and damages to Hawaii's people and lands could be irreversible.

-Community and Ethical Concerns about GMO-Taro-Cultivated throughout centuries to be abundantly grown on Hawaii's diverse agricultural lands, taro is the sacred foundation of our unique local agriculture, society, traditions and family structure. Genetic modification of taro is an affront to the sacred Hawaiian tradition that respects the taro plant as a family member, an older brother to humanity. This family tradition is rooted in honoring the relationship of mankind with the very plants we depend on for healthy nourishment, and establishes an unique genealogical connection between taro and the Hawaiian people. The wisdom of such healthy community values must be encouraged, not disrespected or desecrated. Despite the unique and utmost importance of this plant to our community, GMO-taro has been developed without any informed community consent, raising serious ethical science concerns. Businesses and researchers in Hawaii should encourage informed community consent and review, not avoid oversight and involvement from the very communities most effected by their activities.

-Economic and Bioprospecting Concerns about GMO-Taro-The right to grow taro naturally and traditionally belongs to the public, and should never be owned by a corporation or university. Private patents and control of our public food resources would cripple our food security, taro economy and violate our inherent public rights. GMO-taro experiments and patents cannot help taro farmers with the real problems that they face and will only endanger the valuable traditional biodiversity of taro in Hawaii.

-Legal and Governance Concerns about Preemption Legislation-In "exchange" for a ban on GMO-taro, the biotech/GMO industry may attempt to turn our community's intentions to protect taro into unfair "preemption" legislation which would prohibit state or county oversight, and public notice of all other GMOs and biotech activities in Hawaii. We do not support any such attempts to preempt legitimate local government regulations to protect public health. Preempting local efforts to protect public health raises serious legal, ethical, and scientific concerns-- our public and environmental safety, as well as our local-governance authority, must be prioritized over private investment concerns and high-risk experiments.

-Help Taro, Don't Hurt Taro!-Agricultural science has proven that the taro will be as healthy as the land in which it is grown and the care with which it is shown. There is no actual need to permanently change the taro plant's natural genetic structure nor patent the plant for private profit in order to protect the local taro industry. Rather, farmers, scientists and decision makers must work to solve the broad resource management problems that face taro farming. Lack of meaningful support to address the drastically increasing challenges from invasive diseases, pests, excessive and illegal diversions of water, and operating costs, has led to a decrease in taro farming and a taro shortage in Hawaii. With appropriate political, scientific and community support, taro will once again be a primary resource for Hawaii's food security, contributing significantly to a healthy local diet and economy. GMO-taro and patents, however, could destroy the safety and sanctity of natural taro as an important allergy-free food, cultural resource and local agricultural industry in Hawaii.

As a strong supporter of taro farming in Hawaii, I ask you to protect the security of the health of natural taro and the local taro industry by establishing a ban on GMO-taro.

Malama Aina,

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