Musings: From There to Here

As anti-GMO activists engage in the theatrical charade of the “Monsanto tribunal” — a kangaroo court intended to try the company for "human rights violations, crimes against humanity, and ecocide" — a voice from Hawaii is among those being raised in opposition.

Joni Kamiya, who writes the Hawaii's Farmer's Daughter blog based on her family's experience growing transgenic papaya, is one of four speakers giving farmers a voice in defense of agricultural technology. The others are Ganesh Nanote, who grows Bt cotton in India, Olly Harrison, a cereals farmer in the United Kingdom, and Dr. Willi Kremer-Schilling, who raises sugar beets and oilseed rape in Germany.

Way to go, Joni! As noted by the Risk-Monger, which organized the farmers' voices event:

The Monsanto Tribunal is a fake trial organized and funded by the Organic Consumers Association (who donated 200,000 USD to pay the speaking fees for organic industry lobbyists like Vandana Shiva). The point of their expensive stunt is to increase the rage against agri-technology and undermine the public trust in conventional farming.

Other funding came from Dr. Bronner's, Mercola and donations from the sheeple.

Meanwhile, as yet another reminder of how outside groups are influencing the Hawaii anti-GMO campaign — and local elections — high-end outdoor clothing maker Patagonia posted this on its Facebook page, with a link that goes straight to full on propaganda by the Hawaii Center for Food Safety:

But when the comments started blasting the so-called “research,” the video was hidden from Patagonia's Facebook home page. Patagonia is one of the earliest and more generous funders of the anti-GMO movement, including CFS.

Despite gathering more money than any other Kauai County Council candidate, the campaign of anti-GMO politician Gary Hooser appears to be floundering. As a result, he's appealing to his core base, in hopes they'll actually show up and vote:

As one observer noted:

Hmm…he needs serious medical help…he thinks he is GOD – appearing to Moses to bring the people to the Promise Land! AND, having an event in a Church??? Isn’t that an ethics/campaign violation?

It seems the messianic complex is often at work with the anti-GMO forces:

The Environmental Defense Fund has a good piece on the many misperceptions about "big ag," which tend to ignore the diverse ways that agriculture is changing — including "big ag's" move toward sustainability. The author writes:

Change won’t occur overnight. But it will never occur if we stay entrenched in political ideologies.

That's certainly something to keep in mind during this bitter presidential election.

In closing, I wanted to draw attention to medical marijuana, and efforts to organize and professionalize this burgeoning industry. The first-ever Hawaii Medical Marijuana Training and Certification Conference is set for next Thursday in Honolulu, offering to give people a chance to learn about the business and network with others.

It seems that at least some of the dispensaries, including Green Aloha on Kauai, intend to be union shops, with their workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. The training session is sponsored by the UFCW and Clover Leaf University. Those who are interested can register here.