Printed in the Maui Weekly

Editorial, Friday, April 20, 2007
Deborah Lordan

House Stalls Bill Restricting Genetic Modification of Taro

How the ancient taro plant is to be saved from an uncertain future is still a matter of contention as House Agriculture Committee stalls GM taro moratorium bill.

The Hawai‘i State House Agriculture Committee has stalled a bill that would have placed a statewide moratorium on genetic modification of taro for 10 years. But about 50 Hawaiian protesters who gathered at a rally at the state Capitol on Friday, March 30, rallied for the passage of the bill, saying they don’t want the help scientists are offering.

The use of biotechnology in food production, specifically the use of transgenic crops, where genes from one species are inserted into the DNA of another to produce a genetically modified organism (GMO), is a controversial topic. It is a very complex and emotional issue, now involving cultural aspects of taro, or kalo, revered by many Native Hawaiians as an ancestor of their people, and a fundamental part of Hawaiian culture and traditional diet. They feel it should not be altered.

While Hawai‘i residents try to discern fact from science fiction, perceptions range from the belief that GM crops have potential to eradicate world hunger to the fear that they are an unnatural Pandora’s Box of potentially uncontrollable affects which may prove to be hazardous to humans and the environment.

“The presence of controversy should not cause government to overreact,” said Dr. Harold Keyser, Maui County administrator for the University of Hawai‘i’s (UH) College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources (CTAHR).“We need more education on this issue, not more legislation.”

Deliberate crossing of one variety or breed with another, resulting in offspring that are genetically modified, and hybrid crosses resulting in genetic combinations of closely related species have been practiced for thousands of years, as farmers have continually sought to improve and protect agricultural crops by selection and breeding—including taro. For 25 years we have enjoyed the “fruits” of genetic engineering, including most soybean, cotton, corn and many other crops produced in the U.S., as well as insulin, vaccines and many other medicines.

“Given these proven beneficial applications, why restrict all taro from similar improvements through modern breeding?” asked Dr. Keyser.

So the pivotal question is not whether GM crops should or should not be bred or grown. It is a question of what new regulations need to be attached to these activities to protect the environment and consumers.

Regulations have been in place since 1986, and have resulted in a perfect safety record so far. “Each biotech crop is evaluated on a case-by-case basis,” said Dr. Keyser.

Dr. Ania Wieczorek is an assistant professor of the agricultural biotechnology educational program in the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences of CTAHR at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Her program provides science-based information to schools, ag producers, consumers, concerned civic groups, Hawaiian activists and the media.

“I do understand the importance of taro to the Hawaiian people,” she said. “Kalo is a fundamental part of Hawaiian culture and traditional diet, but it is also a crop that is being threatened by invasive plant diseases.”

A very effective way to combat pests and plant diseases has been by traditional plant breeding to develop naturally resistant varieties. But according to research, up to 50 percent of kalo production may be lost each year due to disease and pests (taro leaf blight, pocket rot, apple snails and aphid damage), and the number of named Hawaiian taro varieties has declined dramatically in the past 100 years—from over 400 in the early 1900s to fewer than 60 today, because traditional breeding techniques to control pest resistance are being outpaced by assaults from invasive pests.

The constant influx of new pests arriving in Hawai‘i poses a contemporary problem—one that did not confront past generations of kalo growers. Growers diligently manage pests to the best of their ability, but because traditional breeding methods are too slow to respond to the modern onslaught of invasive pest species, researchers are trying to develop effective controls using various tools, including introduction of disease-resistant genes into kalo (genetic modification).

“Nevertheless, this requires sensitivity,” said Dr. Wieczorek. “Kalo is an incredibly important component of Hawaiian culture. It is this very concern that resulted in the dean of CTAHR signing an agreement in 2005 that no genetic engineering research would be done on Hawaiian kalo without prior consultation with Hawaiian community groups.”

UH has agreed not to do research on Hawaiian types of taro, and has agreed to take care to prevent their experimental taro from breeding with native varieties.

In general, Dr. Wieczorek believes that the biotech industry should be committed to the safe and responsible use of this technology, and definitely supports strong science-based regulation of plant biotechnology products. But she also believes that bans on agricultural biotechnology would deprive farmers in Hawai‘i of valuable agricultural tools and technology that could help improve their crops, as well as increase their productivity and competitiveness.

Dr. Wieczorek wants farmers to have every approved tool available in making decisions about the products and practices that best fit their needs for crop improvements and pest control. “As we develop this new technology, we must also continue our efforts to improve conventional farming, organic farming, and integrated pest management. We are here to help all our clients, and we encourage the coexistence of all forms of agriculture.”

Scientists at CTAHR employ many different agricultural approaches, encompassing classical breeding, organic farming, integrated pest management, and genetic engineering. “I believe that biotechnology can coexist with traditional forms of agriculture,” said Dr. Wieczorek, “and that some products developed through biotechnology can benefit Hawai‘i’s economy, food systems and environment. I also believe that the risks and benefits of any product derived from research, including biotechnology, should be thoroughly evaluated prior to its release into the environment.”

“The well-documented benefits of genetically modified crops and foods keep multiplying,” said Dr. Keyser, “while the risks remain almost entirely hypothetical, and even contrived.” Their use in many countries has led to dramatic reductions in use of insecticides, use of safer herbicides, better disease resistance (as in papaya), increased soil conservation and increased yields—all with a perfect safety record,” said Keyser.

“One can therefore propose that the greatest risk of this technology is not to use it,” said Dr. Keyser.

Hawai‘i lawmakers said the issue is too controversial and complicated to pass into law at this time, but it will reassess the topic next year.