The biotech firm, Monsanto, farms many Maui County acres in experimental genetically modified organisms.  While Monsanto says they create GMOs to help farmers, detractors claim that Monsanto patents GMO seeds in order to prevent farmers from saving seeds.  Certainly this has created a financial hardship on many farmers used to saving seeds.  Critics also point to the lack of safety studies and wonder why Monsanto has been allowed to use Maui County and its residents for their experimental science project.

The genetic food fight
Since the dawn of time humans have had WYSIWYG food - when you sat down to eat, What You Saw Is What You Got. But you can't be as sure as your ancestors were about what's on your plate, because scientists are genetically modifying edible things in an ever-growing number of ways.

County Council reserves right to restrict GMOs on Maui
A resolution introduced by Sol Kaho'ohalahala states the Council's position but carries little or no legal weight against a potential new state law.

Genetically Modified Hawai‘i
Scientific American takes a look at the GMO industry that is growing in size on all Hawaiian islands

GMO ban approved
The Hawaii County Council has banned genetically modified coffee and taro from the Big Island. Opposition to genetically modified taro has been clear all along, council members said. Councilors listened to nearly seven hours of testimony ranging from the technical to the emotional. Supporters of the ban spoke of fears that genetically modified crops might be field-tested and released here, lowering the value of specialty coffee crops, adulterating and contaminating food sources, and creating health ramifications that have never been fully studied.

Are GMOs Safe?
Genetically altered, or genetically modified, organisms, have been around since 1976, when a company called Genetech was established, exploring the "commercial potential" of recombinant DNA technology. There has been active debate about this ever-expanding technology ever since. One of the concerns is the potential, largely unknown, effects of these never-before-in-existence altered plant or animal genes.
Support GMO-Free Taro legislation

Biotech firm grows on Molokai
Monsanto, a global company specializing in biotech corn seed crops, has entered a 99-year lease for 1,650 acres of land, of which about 1,200 are suitable for farming. While the expansion means more productivity for Monsanto, as well as more jobs for the island economy, environmental activists -- which include the Sierra Club, Maui Tomorrow and Hui Ho'opakele Aina -- continue to cry out against the growing presence of genetically modified crops on Molokai. They say the modified crops have not been adequately tested for long-term effects and could cross-pollinate with organic crops.