World’s Top Surfers Gather in Hawaii to Protest over GMOs

Posted on Dec 13 2013 - 9:53pm by Sustainable Pulse

This Sunday in Haleiwa, Hawaii, over a thousand people are expected for The Aloha Aina March: Collaboration for a Better Tomorrow to raise awareness and solutions for Hawaii’s environment in response to genetic engineering (GE) agricultural experimentation and pesticide laden GE seed production in Hawaii.

The march was called for by Dustin Barca, professional surfer, MMA fighter and recipient of Surfer Magazine’s 2013 Surfer Poll Agent of Change Award for his work with Ohana O Kauai and Hawaii SEED to raise GMO awareness and stop the destruction of our agricultural land by GMO companies.

World renowned surfers Kelly Slater, Dustin Barca, Shane Dorian, John John Florence, Mark Healey, Sebastian Zietz and Makua Rothman will join Uncle Walter Ritte, Babes Against Biotech, Ohana O Kauai, Hawaii SEED, Hawaii GMO Justice Coalition, The Mom Hui, Defend Hawaii, Da Hui, Food Democracy Now and Hawaii United. At the non-GMO potluck gathering after march, community organizers will speak and Hawaii singers Hawane Rios and Paul Izak will perform.

“We are unified in protecting what we love and must stop the poisoning and destruction of Hawaii’s farm lands and urge Kamehameha Schools to refuse to renew a lease to Monsanto for an additional ten years,” the March organizers said Friday.

“We will not remain idle while our citizens, lands, waters and environments are poisoned with biotech industry genetic testing and related pesticides, experimented on by companies using farmlands to genetically alter and patent food crops for exported seed, destroyed by unethical developers and ruined for future generations,” Babes Against Biotech Founder, Nomi Carmona, stated.

Peaceful advocates for environmental awareness, Hawaii agriculture, local farming, sustainability, local economy, tourism, government accountability and human rights will join with dozens of community organizations and the biggest names in surfing today to represent aloha for Hawaii and peacefully resist the environmental harm of massive pesticide spraying and genetically engineered field testing occurring in Hawaii.

“We support local farmers and safe agriculture producing non-GMO food for Hawaii residents,” Carmona concluded.

This year, Hawaiian Senator Donovan Dela Cruz introduced a bill (SB727) to strike County rights to protect citizen life and health with the support of the GMO industry. Therefore, Hawaiians are again asserting their rights to home rule and County leadership while preparing to protect their State as a whole at the 2014 legislative session.

State and County elected officials in Hawaii have received over $515,000 of campaign financing from GMO companies performing genetic experiments in the Hawaiian islands which are banned in the majority of developed countries due to health and environmental biohazards. GMO producing pesticide companies experimenting on Hawaiian soil include synthetic chemical giants Monsanto, DOW, Bayer, BASF, Pioneer/DuPont and Syngenta.

The Aloha Aina March is a family friendly, peaceful, first amendment march and will begin at 12:00 PM in Haleiwa at the 7-11 parking lot proceeding down Kamehameha Highway to Haleiwa Beach Park. One lane will be closed with HPD escort.

The event is free and open to the public. Participants are encouraged to bring signs, cameras, reusable water bottles and utensils, potluck food, beach chairs and of course, aloha.

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Sustainable Pulse is a global news outlet covering sustainable agriculture, GMOs and pesticides.

2 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Michelle Adams December 15, 2013 at 14:31 - Reply

    I am standing in support with the people of Hawaii against GMOs. You are in the frontline in this fight. This is likely the most important fight we will make in our lifetime. Please make us proud.

  2. Angela Cowan December 16, 2013 at 06:14 - Reply

    It is disgraceful and disgusting that our Governments have sold us all. How much money is it worth to slowly poison your citizens? How much money could it be worth to destroy the soil, seeds, agriculture, and environment? Where will our Government and big biotech be when it comes time to clean up the mess that these chemical companies have made? They must not have thought this through.

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