STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1165

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 151

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 151 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, TO STUDY THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF VERTICAL FARMING OPERATIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, to study the economic impacts of vertical farming operations.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Office of Planning.

 

     Your Committee finds that vertical farming produces food indoors in vertical stacked layers using indoor farming techniques and controlled-environment agriculture technology and has the potential to increase certain crop yields in limited land space.  Your Committee finds that a study of the economic impacts of vertical farming operations may provide policy makers and the agricultural industry with sufficient data to determine whether Hawaii should invest in vertical farming as a viable option for agricultural production in the State.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the finding that current agricultural practices in Hawaii utilize traditional surface farming, which may be inefficient considering Hawaii's limited land space and high land costs.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 151, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 151, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,

 

 

 

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair