Protecting the Taro

Moratorium on GMO taro moves through Hawai'i State Legislature, 2007

In the legislature's 2007 session, a bill instating a moratorium on GE taro research passed all the way through the Senate, generating a great deal of dialog, media coverage, and new connections between Native Hawaiians, Taro Farmers, and elected officials.  Farmers, Native Hawaiians and concerned citizens flew in from all islands to offer hours of collective testimony in support of this bill which clearly affected the captive audience of elected officials.

SB958 Passed through the Senate and moved to the House where Representative Clift Tsuji, Chair of the Agricultural Committee refused to hear the bill this session.  Native Hawaiians and Taro Farmers went to the legislature in protest.

Native Hawaiians chain doors of University, May 18, 2006

Native Hawaiians chain the doors of the new UH medical building, demanding an audience with decision-makers at the University of Hawai'i.
See a video of the protest.
Read KITV story.

Letter demanding UH drop patents on taro, February 23, 2006

Native Hawaiian Walter Ritte and taro farmer Chris Kobayashi, with the help of Center For Food Safety, present a letter to the University of Hawaii demanding UH drop their patents on taro.
Read the letter.

350 protesters gather at UH president's office

In another recent action Walter Ritte acted again with 350 protesters who gathered at the University of Hawaii's President’s office to demand that UH stop genetically engineering taro and release their patents on the plant. People around the nation spoke of the power of the chants, the hula dancing, and the songs that were sung in honor of Haloa, and all of the major state television stations and newspapers covered the protest. The attention generated advanced the pressure on the University to respond to the public’s outrage.

Haloa ceremony, May 2005

Walter Ritte, Native Hawaiian activist from the island of Molokai and friends held a ceremony for Haloa (to protect the taro), pressuring the Dean of the University of Hawaii Andrew Hashimoto to sign a moratorium (end) on GE research of the Hawaiian taro. The University tried to compromise by forming a “bioethics panel” or Native Hawaiian advisory board, but unfortunately members of this “board” that the University  hand selected were biased liaisons of  UH with a vested interest in promoting GE taro to the Hawaii people. 

Indigenous people's speaking tour, 2005

Maori, Paiute, and Hawaiian activists spoke on 4 islands to Native Hawaiians about the impact of GMOs in their communities.