Following through on its repeated desire to address the state’s reliance on imported food, the state Legislature this session passed a pair of measures aimed at growing a more self-reliant and sustainable food system in Hawaii.
“Increasing our support for local agriculture is essential — especially as more families face food insecurity and the need for homegrown food grows,” said Sen. Mike Gabbard, who co-introduced both measures. “These bills are a direct investment in our communities and in Hawaii’s future.”
Senate Bill 1186 would establish the Statewide Interagency Food Systems Coordination Team and Working Group under the auspices of the Agribusiness Development Corporation.
Under the bill, the working group would be composed of the heads of the Board of Agriculture and state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (or their designees); a member of the state House of Representatives; a member of the state Senate, and other members with relevant experience. The group would be charged with coordinating with county and community-led organizations involved with food systems planning; identifying resources to support coordination and implementation efforts; create time-bound implementation plans and ways to measure progress; and use policy impact analysis tools to evaluate proposed actions.
The group would be required to submit a report of its activities and recommendations to the Legislature prior to the start of each session.
The bill includes a $100,000 appropriation to cover operating costs.
SB693 would provide additional funding for the Food Hub Pilot Program, which supports distribution and access to fresh local food.
As explained in the bill, food hubs are “centrally located facilities that have a business management structure that facilitates the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution and marketing of locally produced food products.”
“By actively coordinating these activities along the value chain, food hubs may provide wider access to institutional and retail markets for small- to mid-sized producers and increase consumer access to fresh and healthy food, including for those consumers in underserved areas and food deserts,” the bill states.
In 2022, the Legislature passed Act 313, which established the five-year food hub program, which provides finance assistance to qualified applicants.
The bill appropriates $1.5 million to the program in both of the next two fiscal years.
“These initiatives are the result of years of hard work and collaboration,” said Senator Gabbard, who championed the bills. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see them move forward, and I’m thankful to my fellow lawmakers and the many advocates who helped bring these ideas to life.”
The bills now sit with Gov. Josh Green for final consideration.
Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at [email protected].
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