Hawai’i County Council passes no-GMO bill unanimously

Moratorium on GMO taro and coffee on Hawai’i Island is passed by council in response to overwhelming citizen support

Jerry Konanui writes:

Hawaii County Council heard the overwhelming voices of Taro, Coffee Growers and Consumers and stood by them.

Unlike State House of Representative Agriculture Committee Chairman Clift Tsuji who after receiving over 7000 voices in support of SB 958 and 240 plus against, aborted and killed our taro bill SB 958 last session.

Our county council supported the majority, 80 % of the coffee growers and 90 % of Hawaii Island taro growers and the over 1200 voice of consumers, taro and coffee growers and passed County Bill 361. It is a breath of fresh air a moment of hope and calm that simply says democracy lives here in Hawaii County.

Endless mahalo nui to all who found it important enough to as Aunty Emily says to stand your ground and voice your mana’o, and I also mean those who were against the bill as well.  It is through this process of lively, healthy, and open debate that we can educate each other and others to do the right thing for the benefit of the majority of the people.

We each have a voice, a vote, no one more important then the other.  This transcends race, age, ideology and status of any kind every voice is important and needed if we are to co-exist in harmony.

We welcome Mayor Kim’s suggestion that all stake holders come together and work on this very heated subject about genetic engineering of our foods.  We are not against biotechnology to include genetic engineering; we are for safe science, transparent science and science of mutual consensus.  We are and always have been open to dialog.  So hele mai! Hele mai!! E ho’ohui ana kakou!!  Makaukau makou!!

Mahalo ke Akua, na kini akua, na aumakua, na kupuna.

Jerry Konanui he kahu o Haloa