RUSSELL KOKUBUN IS RELINQUISHING HIS POST AS DIRECTOR of Hawai`i Department of Agriculture. Gov. Neil Abercrombie appointed the Volcano resident and state senator to the position in December 2010. During his tenure as chief of the state Ag Department, Kokubun oversaw expenditures for improvements to Ka`u’s agricultural irrigation systems and an easing of restrictions for the shipping of Sharwil avocados. He also called for a nationwide system for monitoring, labeling and enforcing the labeling of all whole and processed genetically engineered foods. Kokubun said that while, in recent years, there has been a push to mandate the labeling of genetically engineered foods at the state level, “the enormity of such a task is beyond the scope and expertise of the various state agencies and would be better served if done at a national level. Furthermore, a national standard for labeling would provide consistent application across the states, making it easier to monitor and enforce and creating a level playing field for all food producers from farmers to processors.” Kokubun also showed support for the local coffee industry when it came to light that Safeway stores on the mainland were selling coffee without labels specifying how much Hawaiian coffee was in the blend. He sent a letter to Safeway asking the company to voluntarily comply with the law that is already in place in Hawai`i, requiring the blending percentages to be on the labels.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:41:25 +0000
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