PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
Help / Feedback • Press Inquiries
Request to Governor Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii to veto HB667 Relating to Food Safety and Security
  1. Signatures
    865 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. The Governor of HI (+ 1 other)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The Governor of HI
      • Governor, State of Hawaii (Governor Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii)
  2. Created By
    Elizabeth Martinez
    Waimanalo, HI
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
Why This Is Important

The signers of this petition support our local, Hawaii, family farms....   True food security for Hawaii is too important to accept  food safety and security legislation which was quietly voted in, even though the Agriculture Committee deemed that it was not appropriate this year.  Firstly, this bill adds an unreasonable burden of expense to the farmer of paying for the inspection/certification. It is estimated that obtaining the annual certification will cost the farmer $850 per year.  The Federal food safety and security legislation contained an exemption provision for small farmers.  HB667 does not.  Small farmers who can't afford the certification, or meet the as yet undefined rules, will end up losing the ability to provide produce to schools, stores, farmers markets, etc.  This has the potential to lead to the economic collapse of small Hawaii farms .  This bill could well reduce, not increase, the availability of healthy, locally-grown food for the people of Hawaii.     Every thinking individual is for safe and healthy food produced applying good farming and hygiene practices.   However, the greatest threat to food safety and security comes from large national, international and multinational, corporate farming and distribution operations.  Don't let fear make us afraid of locally grown food and cause Hawaii to react with hastily conceived laws and regulations.   Unless Governor Abercrombie  vetos this bill, this law will be effective on July 1, 2011.     We, the petitioners, join with Hawaii Farmers Union United to ask Governor Abercrombie to please act now and veto HB667!   The Hawaii Farmers Union and the National Farmers Union will be further researching this issue.  Information will be posted at http://www.hawaiifarmersunionunited.org

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Veto HB667 Relating to Food Safety and Security

Aloha!

I just signed the following petition addressed to: Governor Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii.

----------------
Veto HB667 Relating to Food Safety and Security

The signers of this petition support our local, Hawaii, family farms....   True food security for Hawaii is too important to accept  food safety and security legislation which was quietly voted in, even though the Agriculture Committee heard testimony and recommended against advancing this bill for passage this year. 
Firstly, the this bill adds an unreasonable burden of expense to the farmer of paying for farm certification. It is estimated that obtaining the annual certification will cost the farmer $850 per year.  The Federal food safety and security legislation contained an exemption provision for small farmers.  HB667 does not.  Small farmers who can't afford the certification, or meet the as yet undefined rules, will end up losing the ability to provide produce to schools, stores, farmers markets, etc.  This has the potential to lead to the economic collapse of small Hawaii farms .  This bill could well reduce, not increase, the availability of healthy, locally-grown food for the people of Hawaii.  
 
Every thinking individual is for safe and healthy food produced applying good farming and hygiene practices.   However, the greatest threat to food safety and security comes from large national, international and multinational, corporate farming and distribution operations.  Don't let fear make us afraid of locally grown food and cause Hawaii to react with hastily conceived laws and regulations. 
 
Amended section 6/29/2011: >>
 
The Hawaii Farmers Union and the National Farmers Union will be further researching this issue.  Information will be posted at http://www.hawaiifarmersunionunited.org

----------------

Sincerely,

[Your name]