Kenoi signs ban on new GMO crops

Vowing to protect natural resources and shut out the "global agribusiness corporations" from Hawaii island, Mayor Billy Kenoi on Thursday signed a bill designed to limit planting of new genetically modified crops.

But foes of the bill warned it would not only put the brakes on tens of millions of dollars worth of current GMO-related projects, but stop investment and growth of the island’s agriculture industry.

"It’s very disappointing," said Lorie Farrell of Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United, a group that represents a dozen major agricultural organizations. "The impacts are going to be severe."

The bill the County Council approved 6-3 on Nov. 19 restricts planting of genetically modified crops to enclosed structures like greenhouses.

Farmers who already grow GMO crops are exempt from the ban. That includes Big Island Dairy and the island’s numerous papaya growers, who largely rely on modified varieties that are resistant to the ring­spot virus.

"Our community has a deep connection and respect for our land, and we all understand we must protect our island and preserve our precious natural resources," Kenoi said in a statement Thursday afternoon. "With this new ordinance we are conveying that instead of global agribusiness corporations, we want to encourage and support community-based farming and ranching."

Hawaii County will become the second in the state to restrict genetically modified crops. The Kauai County Council voted Nov. 16 to override a veto of a bill requiring large farms to establish buffer zones and disclose use of restricted-use pesticides and genetically modified crops.

The vote represents another significant victory for the Hawaii anti-GMO movement, which has disputed the safety of genetically altered crops and use of herbicide-resistant crops, and sought to prevent the controversial biotech seed industry from gaining a foothold in Hawaii County.

In 2008, Hawaii County adopted a more limited genetically modified organism bill that banned genetically modified coffee and taro.

On Thursday, Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille described the bill she introduced as a landmark measure aimed at protecting non-GMO farmers afraid of cross-pollination between modified and nonmodified crops.

"The bill is modest," she said. "It holds the status quo. It allows farmers to continue to do what they are doing. It just doesn’t allow more."

Wille said the ban on future GMO crops will prevent the Big Island from becoming another Kauai, where four international biotechnology companies have established outposts on former sugar land and are conducting open-air experiments and developing new genetically modify crops.

"All I’m saying is there’s science on both sides," she said. "Let’s halt and take a closer look."

In approving the bill, Kenoi said his administration would launch a yearlong effort to research and collect data on the agriculture industry to shed further light on the GMO issue and its effect on the environment.

"We will work with our farmers and our ranchers to carefully monitor the impacts of this bill … to separate speculation and guesswork from the facts," he said.

However, Farrell said the bill is almost entirely based on emotion, myths and a lack of scientific facts.

She said it could prevent orchid and antherium farmers from proceeding with a GMO project designed to fight a disease afflicting the ornamental flowers industry. It may also stop expansion of the livestock industry, which is working on a $3.5 million GMO program to ensure feed sources. Also in jeopardy, she said, is a green-leaf lettuce GMO project in the works with the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

The ultimate effect may be determined by how the county implements the law, Farrell said.

In any case, she said, the greatest impact could be to hinder investment by current farmers and potential new ones, giving a competitive advantage to agricultural concerns elsewhere.

Laurie Yoshida, communications manager with DuPont Pioneer, said she knows of no plans by a biotechnology company to expand to Hawaii island.

Yoshida said the biggest problem with the law is that it’s going to handicap what Hawaii island farmers can do to fight threats to their crops.

"It’s just disappointing that the farmers there are not going to have the access to the technology available to them," she said.

The vote followed six months of debate through many long public hearings and testimony from hundreds, most of whom spoke out against GMO farming.

Two other farming groups supported the bill: Hawaii Farmers Union United, whose focus is on family farms, and the Kona Coffee Farmers Association.