Does food and GMO biotechnology need any public oversight?The GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) controversy continues to dominate the news for our local agriculture's future. Hawai'i Island's farmers, both small and large, are actively engaged in this debate, as are our County Council, the University of Hawai'i, biotech companies, and some wholesalers and retailers of our entire local food system.

How well do you understand the issues? How much do you know, and how much is guesswork or knee-jerk reaction? Are you applying your critical thinking skills to the arguments from both sides, or are your feet more-or-less mindlessly planted in the concrete of your fellow-travelers?

LIHUE, HAWAII—In advance of the September 15, 2013 Breadfruit Festival Takes Root on Kauai, the Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu project has added sites of interest on Kauai to the Talking Trees app for iPhone and Android.

The Talking Trees app is free and features suggested stops on Kauai and Hawaii Island that offer the opportunity to learn about the culture and history of the islands through stories of the ‘ulu (breadfruit). Information is conveyed through photos, articles and video interviews with local cultural practitioners. For people who want to learn how to cook with breadfruit, the app also features award-wining breadfruit recipes. Other links include information about how to cultivate and use breadfruit and Hawaiian mythology.

Aquaponics operation at Kunia Country Farms, Kunia, Oʻahu.Kunia Country Farms started operations in 2010, transforming former pineapple land in Kunia into a lettuce farm. The farm utilizes an aquaponics system, where crops are grown in containers that float on water. Fish (which are excluded from the crop area) provide a source of fertilizer. “Aquaponics is 6–8 times more productive than ground cropping,” estimates co-owner Jason Brand, “which can save costs on land, materials, and labor, allowing us to be competitive with mainland lettuce while delivering a product with a much longer shelf life.” The company’s growing, harvesting, and packaging operations are continually being refined. “Our number one cost is labor. Mainland producers achieve a cost-effective economy of scale due to large land areas and mechanization. With our relatively small-scale operation, we have to develop other efficiencies in our growing, harvesting, and packaging methods, which we have done.”