We Grow 93% of Hawaii Island Agriculture Crops
~ 625,000 acres of land in production ~
$194 Million in Revenue ~
We are Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United, a group formed to Protect our
Freedom to Farm. We support House Bill 2506 & Senate Bill 3508, which
amends Hawai‘i's Right-To-Farm Act.
Founding Association
Members
Hawaii Papaya Industry
Association (HPIA)
At an annual value of $194 million, we produce almost all of the island’s
agriculture – 93 percent of the agricultural products grown and raised on
the Big Island – and we unhesitatingly, passionately, support these bills.
They will amend Hawaii’s Right-To-Farm Act "to ensure that counties
cannot enact laws, ordinances, or resolutions to limit the rights of farmers
and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices."
Hawaii Cattlemen's Council
Big Island Banana Growers
Hamakua, Hilo & Kohala Farm
Bureau Counties
Hawaii Floriculture & Nursery
Association
Partners
Hawaii Coffee Association
We are very concerned that Hawai‘i County recently passed an anti-GMO
bill, which prohibits Big Island producers from using any new biotech
solutions to their farming challenges. Halts our public research projects.
Our competitors, elsewhere in Hawai‘i and on the mainland, will continue to
have the benefit of advancing science and technology. Taking advantage of
biotech solutions on the Big Island is now a criminal act. Demonizing and
criminalizing our local farmers and ranchers is an unacceptable. The Big
Island’s anti-GMO bill only harms our local farmers and ranchers, who are
our family, friends and neighbors. It will harm our agricultural industry and
the islands economy. Causing Big Island farmers and ranchers to be less
competitive, which will result in higher food costs. It jeopardizes our food
security and will increase our dependence on imported food. This fails to
make Hawaii sustainable, and ensure safe, affordable food in Hawaii.
Hawaii Farm Bureau
Hawaii Island Economic
Development Board
Hawaii Macadamia Nut
Association
Hawaii Leeward Planning
Conference (HLPC)
Grassroots Council
Ross Sibucao
Oliver English
Eric Tanouye
Judi Houle
Eric Weinert
Jason Moniz
It’s those on the lowest rungs of our economic ladder – our kupuna on
fixed incomes, the single moms, and the working homeless – that are the
ones who will be most affected by rising food costs. We need to
concentrate on our remote islands’ food security. All our farmers, from
conventional to organic to Korean natural farming to permaculture, should
be looking for ways we can support each other. However, we can't have
these crucial discussions while we are divided.
None of us went into farming or ranching to seek fame and fortune. A big
motivator for what we do is personal satisfaction, but when farmers and
ranchers are not appreciated, or, worse yet, are considered criminals,
many will lose that motivation. Becoming even more difficult to encourage
the next generation to continue farming and ranching. Who will grow our
food? We are barreling down the road that leads to destroying the Big
Island’s agricultural industry.
It’s conventional agriculture that produces most of the world’s affordable
-- We Feed Hawaii --
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Chris English
Richard Ha
Peter Houle
Michael Madamba
Dennis Gonsalves, PhD
Lorie Farrell, Coordinator
food. If we can leverage our Hawaiian sunshine with specific biotech tools
as needed, our farmers will have a competitive advantage over the rest of
the world. This is where we should be concentrating our time and energy.
Lower food costs would give all of us discretionary income. It's “trickle-up
economics.” Two-thirds of our economy is made up of consumer spending;
everyone will benefit. Allowing this issue simmer is not good for Hawai‘i. As
the divisiveness continues, the ends are increasingly justifying the means,
and science has become marginalized. This is not what we should be
teaching our children. We are heartened that so many legislators have joined together to present
Bill HB2506 & SB3508, which would override the restrictions of the Big
Island anti-GMO bill, and we ask all of them to support it. We are weary of
sitting in hearings, trying to be heard. We need to get back to our farms
and ranches.
Mahalo,
Ross Sibucao, Hawaii Farmers & Ranchers United
-- We Feed Hawaii --
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