GMO Free Zone Project

As part of challenging the contaminating, corrupt and toxic GMO food revolution brought to us by Monsanto and friends, we offer the "GMO-FREE ZONE" project.

Any willing Big Island farmer, gardener, homeowner or business person can decide their personal intention to reject the current genetic food paradigm and post a "GMO-FREE ZONE" sign in public so that our combined message is clear.

The other major Hawaiian islands essentially had no choice and are basically non-consenting hosts to a toxic industry shrouded in secrecy. We must stop the tidal wave of propitiatory food types heading our way (such as the GMO corn already being grown for silage in O'okala, that feed cows at Big Island Dairy).

We all eat and almost everything real about the food takeover is hidden in lies, secrecy, and disdain for environmental and human health- while state and federal governments stand complicit with this agenda. Change will only come from the grassroots and we can do it!

Information below is needed for your web page which will be posted on GMO Free Hawaii Island's website under the GMO Free Zone Project.

1. Title - your farm, home, business, organization or garden name
2. Town it is in and after it please put ….Hawaii Island
3. Picture - take a picture with the GMO-Free Zone sign (or your own hand-made GMO Free Zone sign) posted prominently with you, your family, extended family, associates, your pets, livestock or whatever works to make it your personal visual statement. (The photo should be in color - Please email it as a Jpeg or file.)
4. Names of those in picture in the proper order in which they appear in the picture.
5. GMO statement - your current, thoughts, feelings etc. about GMO’s, general or specific about Hawai‘i Island - your choice but not too long please, (120-180 words seems to fit nicely on our web page - please be pono).
6. (Optional) - A Brief personal, farm, business, or organization connection/ description. You could also add products or services you offer and if you would like your contact information to appear please add it here.
7. Include your email or phone contact in case we have questions (we will not share this or print it unless you have indicated it in line item 6. ).
8. Would you like to be on our email listserve? (Please circle) YES NO

Your page will be one of the hundreds (or more!) that will make a powerful visual and spoken statement demonstrating the great personal rejection of the current GMO food conspiracy descending on Hawai‘i Island.

 EMAIL: GMOFreeHawaiiIsland@gmail.comJust email the words and the picture (in jpeg format), we will format the page like the example on the front.

 Regular Mail: Send the photo and all the information to;
Geoff Rauch - P.O. Box 327 - Pahoa, HI 96778

Remember this will be public! You will be keeping great company!
Extra signs are available for $3. Contact Geoff at 756-5310

Discuss community concerns with Gov. Neil Abercrombie

Gov. Neil Abercrombie will bring seven members of his cabinet to the University of Hawaii at Hilo Friday, July 19th, 2013 to meet with the community and discuss its concerns.

The East Hawaii version of “Governor’s Cabinet in Your Community” will be held from
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the
University of Hawaii Hilo - 200 West Kawili St.
University Classroom Building (UCB) Room 100. (Google Map)

Cabinet members scheduled to attend the meeting are:

1. Department of Land and Natural Resources Chairperson William J. Aila Jr.
2. Department of Agriculture Deputy Director Scott Enright
3. Department of Health Director Loretta Fuddy
4. State Energy Office Renewable Energy Specialist Andrea Gill
5. Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Chairperson Jobie Masagatani
6. Department of Transportation Director Glenn Okimoto
7. Department of Public Safety Director Ted Sakai

According to the governor’s office, the event will include breakout sessions focused on areas of greatest importance to the people of East Hawaii as identified by island legislators and community members.

GMO Free Hawaii Island Supporters please wear GREEN in support of Bill 79 - GMO Prohibition. 

Newsletter: Hawaii County Council will discuss Bill 79 on July 30th, 2013

Aloha Kakou,

On July 3, 2013, after two days of hearing at which 525 people signed up to testify on Bill 79,  the County Council voted to recess the meeting until July 30^th in Kona, at 9:00am, at which time they will discuss the bill. No testimony will be taken at this meeting but council members will be able to introduce amendments to this bill, or vote on the bill in it’s current form. Please show up at Kona council chambers, or any of the satellite offices-and wear green in support of the bill. Bill 79’s introducer, Margaret Wille, has withdrawn her previous amendments, so the bill now reverts to it’s original form (per the May 14^th meeting). 

Bill 79 aims for “prohibition” of GMOs, however, the use of the word “ban” is causing confusion. In effect, they both mean the same thing by law. The GMO crops covered under this bill if passed would be illegal to grow either way. That said, just to keep to the wording of the Bill’s title, in your discussions and future testimony please use the word “prohibition.”

A couple of council members have suggested "killing Bill 79 and write a bill for a Task Force” to study the issue with all stakeholders, the goal being to forge a plan for co-existence between the organic , non-GMO, and GMO farmers.”  GMO-Free Hawaii Island’s position is that research has shown that co-existence only works for GMO farmers.   

We urge you to read these two studies on the folly of “co-existence,” 

1. 2005 Audit Report of APHIS (75 pg PDF)
   A regulatory branch of the USDA, which shows co-existence does not work; organic and non-GMO farmers seeds would always become contaminated, creating a win/lose situation: a win for the GMO farmers with the contaminating genes, and a loss for the non-GMO farmer due to pollen drift, insects or wind. Bill 79 addresses this fundamental issue and any further refining of the bill can be done through the amendment process.
2. Exploring Coexistence of Diverse Farming Practices (11 pg PDF)
   “Coexistence = Contamination” October 2005 – February 2007
   Organic Farmers: Una Greenaway, Melanie Bondera, Vincent Mina, Richard Spiegel, Kimberly Clark, Routh Bolomet
3. Call, Email or Meet with your Council Member
   Set a meeting or just send a courteous email to your council member before July 30th, to urge them to discuss the bill with good intent, propose necessary amendments and work in good faith to pass the bill.  Your help is needed to personally talk to your Councilmember at this critical juncture of the bill.

GMO-Free Hawaii Island supports an exemption to grow GMO papayas. We understand that this is already a prevalent yet struggling industry.  By working to get to know the papaya farmers, sharing farming knowledge and concerns and informing them of the premium-price market opportunities for non-GMO papaya, this industry could move towards a healthier and more lucrative market. We are all in this together- there is plenty of room on the grocery shelves, with over 90% of our food currently being imported. 

GMO-Free Hawaii Island has taken the position that we do not support any other exemptions for any other GMOs. That said, we understand that in order to pass what we feel is the core intention of Bill 79, which is to restrict the further introduction and use of GMO crops, plants, seed, trees, fish, livestock, and other GMOs in Hawaii Island, certain concessions are needed to get this bill passed.  If the final bill does contain any of those exemptions (except for growing livestock feed such as GMO corn, soy or alfalfa) at the end of the Council’s discussion, please support it because it will still be an historical step to save the healthy environment of Hawaii Island, provide food security and economic viability moving forward. 

The 2008 GMO coffee and taro ban was a much simpler ordinance with a strong message, paving the way to where we are today with Bill 79. Compared to the other islands, we are in a really good position, but once the GMOs get a foothold here, it’s really hard to remove them. Please continue to support this next historical stepping stone. There is an attached flier that you can print out yourself to spread the word about Bill 79. Mahalo!

The team at GMO Free Hawaii Island

Event Flyers for July 30th, 2013
4 Up - 8.5 x 11 - Portrait 2-sided

Full Page - 8.5 x 11 Landscape - Single Sided

Sent on July 18, 2013