I didn't know about the possibility of GMO taro appearing in Hawai'i, but it's good news to hear that it's getting banned, at least for the next 5 years. I visited Hawai'i a few years ago for a month-long Transcultural Foods & Cuisine class (be jealous, I know), and the spiritual significance of letting the sacred plant grow unaltered, in its natural state, definitely rings true. Taro is used to make poi, a bland purplish paste that is used to balance out other flavors in the meal, such as salty pua'a (pork).
If you'd like to see some pictures of Hawaiian food that I took while I was there, see here. (Slide 44 has the taro & poi being prepared by a wondrous man named Butch at the Ka'ala Cultural Learning Center in the majestic mountains of O'ahu.)
Stomping on taro plants with your bare feet is quite a fun experience!
~Aloha,
Kelly
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