Updated: SB2722 and HB1892: Creating a Food Hub [identical bills]

Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a five-year food hub pilot program to increase access to local food. Provides for the award of grant funding by qualified applicants wishing to establish or expand a food hub. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Explanation:  To require the state to financially assist in the facilitation of programs to build food hubs or in plain English - unified farmers to build a stock of specific staple crops.  This is already in place with our coffee farmers and weʻd like to extend that to all foods grown in Hawaiʻi, to decease our dependency upon the barge, making those items an option.

 

Testimony:  I strongly support the creation of local food hubs to support the benefits of farming, which will also lower prices of local products, will boost the local economy, will eventually create more sustainable environmental conditions, help defeat climate change, as we are in an area that will be immediately affected and farmers know that planting tamarinds by the shorelines will produce safe trees, fruits, and prevent shoreline erosion.  Farmers know how to properly maintain the environment in manners conducive to our future generationsʻ survival.  The food growth will ensure our continued survival as an island people.  

Supporting training programs and the formation of these hubs can only beneficial because farmers cannot afford to fix the environment, if we canʻt afford to farm.  Producing a sustainable paycheck, will fix that, along with keeping more people employed and housed, while reducing crime rates. 

[Donʻt forget to add your story or delete what doesnʻt apply to your manaʻo]

Submit SB2722 testimony here. 

Submit HB1892 testimony here.

Update - February 6, 2020
The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Ruderman, K. Rhoads, L. Thielen; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.