Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 7, 1 Iulai 2005 — KOLO Controversy [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

KOLO Controversy

Although it eoulel help prevent devastating crop diseases, many farmers question genetic engineering of kalo By Sterling Kini Wong

W 7" alofarmerEdWendtlookeddown the pali from Hāna Highway at _A_ ^Ldiis home in Wailua Nui. For generations, his family has called this oneeprolific kalo producing area home. But the century-old plantation water diversions from East Maui streams have left him and his neighbors with hardly any of the eool, running water needed to grow healthy kalo. The laek of water, along with other factors, Wendt said, has caused a significant number of his kalo plants to be infected with fungal diseases. Wendt's situation would seem to make him a prime beneficiary of a University of Hawai'i project that sought to add disease-resistant genes from rice into several varieties of kalo, including Maui lehua, a traditional Hawaiian variety that is widely grown commercially. But Wendt opposes the genetic research because he said it conflicts with his Hawaiian cultural beliefs. The Kumulipo, a Hawaiian creation story, holds that the gods Wākea and Ho'ohōkūkalani gave birth to both the first kalo and the first Hawaiian. "The bottom line is that I don't like them messing with our culture," Wendt said. "I don't want the super crop. I want to grow the varieties my ancestors used."

Production of kalo, or taro - the staple of the traditional Hawaiian diet - has been cut in half since 1950 due to a number of reasons. One of those reasons is fungal diseases, such as soft corm rots and pocket rot, whieh often render up to half of the kalo grown useless. For over a century, UH scientists have been trying to lessen the occurrences of these diseases through traditional kalo cross-breeding and a variety of lo'i management techniques. But what seemed to be a mutually beneficial relationship between the university and kalo farmers has since turned controversial because of genetic research. The ensuing outcry from the Hawaiian community resulted in the university agreeing to plaee a moratorium on its genetic engineering research of Hawaiian taro varieties until discussions between all parties take plaee. "We want to create a dialogue to see what things are pono that we should be doing in this area," said Andrew

Hashimoto, the dean of UH's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Kalo farmers around the state are also beginning to discuss the implications of genetic modification research. The Kaua'i Taro Growers Association and 'Onipa'a Nā Hui Kalo, a loose coalition of farmers dedicated to perpetuating Hawaiian culture, are both scheduling meetings on this topic over the next few months. Charlie Reppun, who grows kalo in Waiāhole Valley on O'ahu, said farmers need to decide whether genetic research is an option they want to pursue. "I know some of these scientists, and I know they are trying to do good," he said. "But the farmers have to eome together and think this through to see if this is what we want." For some commercial kalo farmers, genetic engineering could provide some sorely needed aid. Hobey Beck, a co-owner of the Hanalei Poi Company, said that every year since

1998, when he opened his poi mill, at least one of his farmers has left the business. "Kalo production is becoming less profitable. Our yields have gone down significantly," he said. "I would support [genetic research] if it would help us increase our production." Other kalo farmers, however, are wary of genetic modification research - and not just for cultural reasons. Ernest Tottori, president of HPC Foods Ftd., the largest poi producer on O'ahu, said he is concemed that by adding foreign genes to kalo, the plant may lose its hypoallergenic properties. "It's a scary thing," he said. "The scientists gotta be very cautious about [genetic engineering] because there are so many things about the plant itself that we don't know." Rodney Haraguchi is one of the larg-est-producing kalo farmers on Kaua'i, where approximately 70 percent of the state's poi comes from. He said that he See KALO on page 4

KALO from page 1 is concerned about the impacts that genetically engineered kalo could have on poi as an export product. "There are countries in Europe that don't take any GMO [genetically modified organism] products," he said. "If, later on, we want to sell there, it may not be wise to get into GMO taro." Some farmers want more research to be done on alternatives to genetic engineering that don't clash with Hawaiian culture. Reppun said he has noticed that some kalo varieties, such as moi, are less susceptible to fungal diseases. He also said that the incidences of pocket rot ean vary from lo'i to lo'i depending on various growing conditions, such as water

temperature. "There may be other solutions. Maybe we shouldn't jump into genetic engineering right off the bat," he said. At a ceremony at the Kānewai lo'i on O'ahu, state Rep. Tommy Waters made an analogy that may strike a chord with Hawaiians. He compared kalo genetic research with another controversial event in Hawai'i: the Māhele, in whieh private land ownership was introduced to the islands. "Some people thought the Māhele was going to be a good thing," he said. "But as we know, it had devastating effects on our culture. Same here. [Genetic modification of kalo] could possibly be thought of as a good thing. But it could also have devastating effects on our culture." U

FOSTER CARE from page 1 share the challenges of raising foster kids. "Being a foster parent is a difficult job," he said. "A lot of foster families feel isolated and they burn out. We're trying to stack the cards as mueh

as possible in favor of the child and the family." Native Hawaiian foster parent Evelyn Souza is a strong proponent of this support strategy. Over the last 15 years, she and her husband, Franklin, have brought 63 foster children into their home. "Foster parents are fixing broken hearts 24-7, and we pay a high price emotionally doing this," Souza said. "You ean recruit all the foster parents you want, but it won't matter without the sup-

port. It takes a village - an 'ohana. That's the Hawaiian way. I tell other foster parents, 'Hey, if you need a break, bring your kids to my house for a night."" Children's-advocacy attorney Annahel Murray pointed out another difficulty for Hawaiians dealing with the foster-care system. She said she receives phone calls from Hawaiian families asking for help getting back their nieces or nephews whose foster family has decided to move to the U.S. continent. "It's so sad," Murray said. "They eall saying, 'We just

want our ehanee.' But months, if not years have gone by, and sometimes it's just too late. We have to find ways to preclude that situation." Partners in Developments' Dill said that Kōkua 'Ohana is trying to prevent such wrenching separa-

tions by encouraging the children's extended families to get involved early in the process. "Sometimes, families know their kids are going to get removed, but they just shut down," he said. "We want to identify these kids early on and find their uncles and aunties before it all starts." Souza said she believes that being a foster parent is her calling from God. She currently has legal guardianship over ten ehildren from the state

foster-care system, ranging in age from 10 to 23. Even some of her biological children, all of whom are in their 30s, have become foster parents. She said the bottom line is that Hawaiians have to take it upon themselves to care for their children. "If we're not going take care of our Hawaiian kids, then who will?" she asked. "What's the sense of Hawaiians getting our sovereignty and land back, if we cannot care for our own kids?" G

"Being a foster parent is a difficult job. A lot of foster families feel isolated and they burn out. We're trying to stack the cards as mueh as possible in favor of the child and the family." — Jan Hanohano D i 1 1