Dustin Barca is a Hawaiian professional surfer turned MMA fighter, who is now taking on a different kind of opponent: Big Agriculture. Barca is running for mayor of Kauai, a lush and fertile tropical island which is also home to some of the biggest agricultural and chemical companies in the world- including Syngenta, Dow, and Monsanto.
Shocking effects of pesticide use on Kauai include birth defects, cancer, contaminated water sources, and high school kids having seizures and falling ill with other diseases through pesticide exposure- most of these high-risk chemicals are banned in Europe and the rest of the world, but in Hawaii GMO corps have free reign to test what they like.
After speaking for a few minutes about his career, Barca talks about his biggest fight yet- the war he´s waging on GMOs and pesticides as Kauai´s newest politician.
“I´m speaking from the heart in a language that everybody understands,” says the former surfer, who began his political career by organizing a rally on the island to protest against GMO producers there. Barca calls them CMOs, rather than GMOs, because of the way chemical herbicides or insecticides are added to the plant´s DNA.
“As soon as the bugs eat the plant, they die because of the poison in the genes. It doesn´t take a rocket scientist to know that can´t be good for people,” he says with a sigh.
Barca has already scored one success- getting a bill passed that allows citizens the right to know what Big-Ag corps are spraying, and when. After this small victory he decided to run for mayor, but admits it´s not going to be easy. “A grassroots, normal person fighting against politicians and the biggest corporations in the world- it´s an uphill battle.”
Barca came second in preliminary elections and will go head-to-head with his opponent in the second round on November 8th, in just a few days time. We´re rooting for you Dustin!
