Speaker Say and Ag Chair Tsuji named BIO Co-Legislators of the Year

Congratulations to Speaker Calvin Say and Rep. Clift Tsuji for being named Co-Legislators of the Year by BIO, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, based in Washington, D.C.

Hawaii maintains a $200 million seed crop industry, and the state's agricultural biotech sector employs about 2,000 people statewide.

From the press release:

"Both Speaker Say and Rep. Tsuji understand and embrace the benefits of biotechnology and recognize its important role in fostering the growth of ag commodites like seed corn, soybean, sunflowers and cotton. Their individual business expertise and understanding of the issues critical to the agriculture industry have benefitted the people of Hawaii tremendously," said Jim Greenwood, President and CEO of BIO.

Both Rep. Tsuji, who currently serves as Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, and Speaker Say, a previous Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, have demonstrated consistent leadership and support for agricultural biotechnology as a means of creating a more abundant and reliable food supply by increasing crop yields, enhancing resistance to pests and diseases, and enabling farmers to grow crops in a more environmentally sustainable way.

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.