LIHU'E, Kaua'i — Monsanto Hawai'i is cutting all of its current Kaua'i-based research jobs and will decide by summer whether to leave the Garden Island entirely.

Work done by the 30-person team on Kaua'i will be reallocated to existing Monsanto operations on Maui and O'ahu "for improved efficiency and cost-savings," Monsanto Hawai'i spokesman Paul Koehler said.

The Kaua'i workers can apply for jobs on other islands, or receive a severance package, he said.

The St. Louis-based agricultural company employs about 800 people in Hawai'i and expects to continue expanding its operations on Maui, O'ahu and Moloka'i, Koehler said.

Most of Monsanto's work in Hawai'i is to produce seed corn for the Mainland U.S. market, Koehler said. About three-quarters of the Monsanto corn grown here is genetically engineered, he said.

Genetic engineering forces a gene from another species into the DNA sequence of a plant or animal, with the aim of giving the host organism a new trait. In crops, the inbred traits sought are often disease or insect resistance, or tolerance for herbicides or pesticides.

Opponents of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, allege that their effects on humans and the natural environment aren't well enough known.

"We are extremely concerned about the pollution left behind. Very few studies have been done on how to mitigate contamination of soil and bacteria where genetically engineered crops have been grown," said Jeri Di Pietro, of the group GMO-Free Kaua'i.

Monsanto's Kaua'i operations on a total of 175 leased acres in Hanapepe were a labor-intensive early stage of corn hybrid research that involved "bagging" each ear of corn, Koehler said. "A lot of what was done here (on Kaua'i) was via hand pollinations, to create inbred plants," he said.

Monsanto is considering moving another stage of its seed corn business — the manufacturing group — to Kaua'i that could involve fewer workers and more acreage, Koehler said.

Koehler said if that happens, many of the displaced Kaua'i workers could qualify for the new jobs, but he didn't know how many jobs there might be.

Monsanto expects to announce its plans for Kaua'i by May.

Seed companies flocked to Hawai'i in the mid-1970s because its long growing season allows multiple crops, Koehler said.

The National Agricultural Statistical Service estimated the value of Hawai'i's seed industry at a record-high $146.3 million for the 2007-08 season. That's up from a $20 million value in 1998-99.

GMO crops have been grown commercially since about the mid-1990s, Koehler said.

The Monsanto that operates in Hawai'i is a relatively new company that spun off from Pharmacia in 2002. The original Monsanto company was founded in 1901 and made agricultural chemicals, according to the company Web site.

The new Monsanto acquired DeKalb Seed operations on Kaua'i, Trojan Seed operations on Maui and Hawaiian Research operations on Moloka'i, Koehler said.

GMO-Free Kaua'i's Di Pietro said she hopes Kaua'i's large landowners will consider leasing to organic and traditional farmers in the future.

Kaua'i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. said in a written statement about Monsanto's announcement: "Obviously, we are very concerned for the hundreds of people who have become unemployed all over the island over the past 12 months.

"I've been in contact with Monsanto officials and stand ready to assist their displaced employees in any way we can. This is a very difficult time for our economy and we're hopeful that with the federal and state stimulus monies that are coming — along with some partnerships we're discussing with the visitor industry — we can help bridge the next twelve months until the economy begins to recover."