Printed in the Honolulu Advertiser

Letters to the Editor, Monday, May 7, 2007

GMO Transgenic Papayas Saved Hawai'i Industry

The commentary by Ms. Melanie Bondera, "Farmers and consumers say no to GMO" (Focus, April 29), has false statements and innuendoes throughout.

Contrary to Ms. Bondera's statement, the transgenic papaya not only saved the papaya industry, it also allowed for all papayas to be cultivated in Hawai'i. The fact is that, were it not for transgenic papaya, it would not be possible to grow non-transgenic (conventional and organic) papayas in Hawai'i. These transgenic papaya plants allowed conventional and organic growers to survive by reducing the papaya ringspot virus pressure around their fields.

The loss of market share in Japan was because of the ringspot virus. With less product to sell, it follows there would be reduced participation in the marketplace. Farmers from Philippines took advantage of this, entered the Japan market and have been increasing their market share since the mid-1990s.

The Hawai'i papayas are not contaminated, and the industry continues to ship the Kapoho Solo papayas into Japan despite Ms. Bondera's claims.

The Hawai'i Papaya Industry Association continues to petition the Japan government for approval of the transgenic "Rainbow" papaya. The first step was to seek approval by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, which was granted in 2000. The second step was to petition the Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare for approval, which the association did in 2003. This petition is still in progress, as the ministry sought more information.

A revised and complete dossier was submitted to the ministry's food safety subcommittee in 2006.

Loren Mochida
General manager, Tropical Hawaiian Products