THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1313

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO HAWAII FOOD RESILIENCY.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawaii is located approximately 2,506 miles from the continental United States.  As the most geographically isolated state in the country, Hawaii imports approximately ninety-two per cent of its food, according to the Pacific Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments Program.  Currently, Hawaii has an inventory of fresh produce that would supply consumers for no more than ten days.  Ninety per cent of the beef, sixty-seven per cent of the fresh vegetables, sixty-five per cent of the fresh fruits, and eighty per cent of all milk purchased in the State are imported.  The legislature also finds that Hawaii's reliance on out-of-state sources of food places residents directly at risk of food shortages in the event of natural disasters, economic disruption, and other external factors beyond the State's control.

     The legislature further finds that each food product imported to Hawaii is a lost opportunity for local economic growth.  The legislature notes that according to the University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources, an increase in the production and sale of Hawaii-grown food would contribute to significant job creation.  The research shows that replacing ten per cent of current food imports with locally grown food will create a total of two thousand three hundred jobs.  Increasing the amount of locally grown food by as little as ten per cent could keep hundreds of millions of dollars circulating within Hawaii's economy, stimulate growth, and create thousands of new jobs.  Such diversification would help make Hawaii's economy more resilient to worldwide events.

     The legislature further finds that increasing local production will ensure that Hawaii has food sources that will be more stable when faced with global supply disruptions, increasing global demand and shortages of commodities, and potential global food scarcities.

     The office of planning, in cooperation with the department of agriculture, issued a report in October 2012, entitled "Increased Food Security and Food Self-Sufficiency Strategy:  A State Strategic/Functional Plan Prepared in Accordance with HRS Chapter 226 Hawaii State Plan and the Hawaii Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy".  The executive summary of the report states in pertinent part, "The purpose of the Increased Food Security and Food Self-Sufficiency Strategy (Strategy) is to increase the amount of locally grown food consumed by Hawaii residents.  This will increase food self-sufficiency which is a component of food security.  The Strategy is a living document intended as a first step toward continued dialog and implementation".

     In 2014, the legislature passed S.C.R. No. 69, S.D. 1, regular session of 2014, which was a significant step toward food security and self-resiliency, establishing the Aloha+ Challenge, a statewide sustainability commitment led by the legislature, governor, county mayors, Office of Hawaiian affairs, and public-private partners across the State.  The resolution outlines six ambitious goals to achieve environmental, social, and economic priorities by 2030 in the areas of clean energy, local food production, natural resources protection, solid waste disposal, smart sustainable communities, and green workforce and education.  This resolution specifies that local food production is to double by 2030 with a goal of twenty to thirty per cent of food being grown locally.

     In addition, the three strategic objectives of the increased food security and food self-sufficiency strategy are increasing demand for and access to locally grown foods, increasing production of locally grown foods, and providing policy and organizational support to meet food self-sufficiency needs.

     The purpose of this Act is to establish a statewide agricultural development and food resiliency strategy and goals, in line with the recommendations of the increased food security and food self-sufficiency strategy.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  The department of agriculture shall establish a strategy and identify goals for increased food security and self-sufficiency in Hawaii.

     (b)  Through the strategy, the department shall identify goals to achieve the following:

     (1)  Increasing demand for and access to locally grown foods by:

         (A)  Expanding local marketing campaigns to promote the benefits of buying local foods;

         (B)  Expanding and improving branding and labeling programs and providing consumer education programs to help consumers identify local products at the time of purchase;

         (C)  Encouraging public institutions, including schools, to purchase locally grown foods; and

         (D)  Addressing food safety issues by expanding the farm food safety coaching program and the number of farm food safety certifiers; and

     (2)  Increasing production of locally grown foods, rather than mainland- or foreign-grown products, by:

         (A)  Improving agricultural infrastructure, including agricultural parks, irrigation systems, and distribution systems and facilities;

         (B)  Supporting the agricultural park program, which provides public lands at reasonable cost and long-term tenure to farmers, and completing the transfer of agricultural lands from the department of land and natural resources to the department of agriculture;

         (C)  Supporting capital improvement project funding to repair and maintain state irrigation systems, which provide water at low cost to farmers;

         (D)  Encouraging a variety of distribution systems to move goods to the market place;

         (E)  Supporting multi-functional food hub facilities or food incubator facilities to handle aggregation, processing, treatment, and distribution; and

         (F)  Building the agricultural workforce, including workforce development services for the agricultural, energy, natural resources, and related industries.

     (c)  The department of agriculture shall identify goals that are quantitatively and qualitatively measurable and the metrics to determine progress toward the goals.

     (d)  The department of agriculture shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including proposed strategies, goals, and metrics, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2018 for the purposes of codifying into law the statewide agricultural development and food resiliency strategy and goals.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the department of agriculture to produce product promotional materials along with other endeavors such as in-store promotions.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the department of agriculture to expand and improve branding and labeling programs for locally grown foods.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 5.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for publicity to promote farmers markets.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 6.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for a farm to school pilot program in charter schools of the State.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 7.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 to develop good agricultural practices for school gardens.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 8.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the establishment of specialists to certify farm food safety.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 9.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 to develop regional agriculture infrastructure master plans.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 10.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 to restore positions in food inspection, pest control, and biosecurity.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 11.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 to restore positions in market research and agricultural statistics.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 12.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 to provide funding for research, training, and education on agricultural food development and food security.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 13.  This Act shall take effect on March 9, 2092.


 


 

Report Title:

Department of Agriculture; Food Security; Self-sufficiency; Appropriations

 

Description:

Makes various appropriations to implement the recommendations of the increased food security and food self-sufficiency strategy.  Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a strategy and goals for increased food security and self-sufficiency in Hawaii.  Effective 3/9/2092.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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