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Aloha mai kakou from Leslie Wilcox, President and CEO...
Hawaii's #1 crop is genetically engineered. It's seed corn, used to research food for the future. Thousands of acres of land on almost every Hawaiian island are now home to genetically modified (GMO) plants.
GMO food has stirred intense debate since before it entered the market back in 1994. I attended a recent community forum in which the prevailing, raw sentiment from citizens was: We want food security and sustainability, but we're deeply suspicious of huge agribusinesses like Monsanto messing with what goes into our bodies.
On the next INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAII (Thurs., Dec. 13, 8:00 pm), Dan Boylan hosts a discussion about GMOs' development in Hawaii. Guests representing a range of perspectives will offer their views and explore the ongoing labeling debate, as well as the public health, environmental, land and regulation issues that come into play.
Scheduled to appear: Mark Fergusson, Chief Vegetarian Officer at Down to Earth food store; Richard Manshardt, Horticulturist at the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; Mark Phillipson, President of the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; and Hector Valenzuela, Vegetable Crops Extension Specialist at the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
Here are more highlights of the upcoming week on PBS Hawaii:
On the next GLOBE TREKKER (Thurs., Dec. 13, 11:00 pm), host Holly Morris discovers two South American countries, Paraguay and Uruguay, that share a similar name but which are very different. Beginning in Uruguay, Holly explores its beautiful coastline and experiences the largest gaucho festival in the world. Then she begins her Paraguayan adventure in its capital city Asuncion, heading into the countryside and visiting the ruins of the 18th century Jesuit missions. She later hunts with the Ache people on the Mbaracayu Nature Reserve.
Produced at the peak of Beatlemania in 1967, Magical Mystery Tour is the least known of the various films starring the Beatles. It was never theatrically released or nationally broadcast on U.S. television, receiving only sporadic TV syndication in the 1980s. GREAT PERFORMANCES Magical Mystery Tour Revisited (Fri., Dec. 14, 9:00 pm) chronicles the behind-the-scenes story of the making of the film and provides context for the era that set the scene for its production.
Following this "making of" documentary is the film itself. GREAT PERFORMANCES presents The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour (Fri., Dec. 14, 10:00 pm), based around a surreal dreamlike coach trip to an unknown destination. The film is a showcase for six classic Beatles tracks including "I Am the Walrus," "The Fool on the Hill" and "Your Mother Should Know" and features John, Paul, George and Ringo as themselves.
On CATHLYN'S KOREAN KITCHEN (Sat., Dec. 15, 5:00 pm), Chef Cathlyn Choi explains the true meaning of Bap (rice), considered the main entree for Koreans, and shows tips on how to make perfect, delicious and nutritious multigrain rice in a traditional stone pot. Other recipes include traditional Korean dipping sauce and a fusion wrap.
Rice is also the centerpiece of the next episode of SIMPLY MING (Sat., Dec. 15, 5:30 pm), as Chef Ellie Krieger teams up with Ming to make Rice Pilaf. Along with some surprise ingredients and special spices, the chefs also create toasted garlic quinoa and coriander-crusted chicken along with spicy shrimp over preserved lemon pilaf.
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS (Sat., Dec. 15, 11:00 pm) presents new American acoustic music with The Civil Wars and Punch Brothers (pictured), showcasing tunes from their latest albums.
Recorded especially for PBS Hawaii in our Manoa TV studio, this special encore of Henry Live (Sun., Dec. 9, 7:00 pm), with Hawaii music legend Henry Kapono, is airing for the first time since its premiere in 2009. Henry performs a wide range of songs from throughout his career, including "Home in the Islands," "Sailing" and "Eho Mai." 
The saga of Downton Abbey Season 2 continues on MASTERPIECE CLASSIC. In Part 2 (Sun., Dec. 9, 8:00 pm), Downton is turned into a wartime convalescent home with Thomas in charge. Meanwhile, Lavinia's and Sir Richard's secret comes out, Anna tracks down Bates and Branson seizes his chance to strike a blow for Ireland. In Part 3 (Sun., Dec. 9, 9:00 pm), Isobel and Cora lock horns over control of Downton's medical role. Mrs. Bird starts a soup kitchen. And Matthew and William embark on a perilous patrol behind German lines.