Organic farmers in Hawaii says they fully support a bill to ban genetically modified taro in Maui in the interests of people's health.
The Hawaii Organic Farmers Association's Sarah Townsend says under the U.S. law on organics, genetically modified organisms are prohibited from being certified as organic.
She says she doesn't buy the scientific argument that it's useful in protecting a crop from disease, and is more concerned about the side effects.
"The effect on health of the people who eat, or use, or otherwise consume, or wear the products made from these plants is completely unknown and breeding after they put the new genes in then the plant continues to cross breed afterwards and it's a complete pandora's box and we don't know what we've released."
Hawaii Organic Farmers Association's Sarah Townsend
