"DPP responded in comments to the commission that Monsanto, which plans to give about 20 acres to the National Park Service and another small parcel to the Board of Water Supply, didn’t offer a compelling reason for not preserving 558 acres that DPP said includes land that produced the highest levels of sugar cane during Hawaii’s plantation era."

Only the owner can make a evaluation of land because DPP doesn't have the expertise. Note that the company itself decided which 20 acres of forest which are not suitable for its agriculture and donated the land to the Park Service. The same goes for the parcel which it gave to the water supply. The parcel could affect the water if it planted too close? Why should poor land be restricted to ag use?

The burden of proof needs to be on the City to prove the company can profit. Remember that Monsanto likes the variety of soil types in Hawaii. The crops also need isolation. Water another factor. City stop! NOT sugar!