According to the US Dept. of Ag we currently import 90% to 92% of everything we eat. That’s not a sustainable way to live. So the Sierra Club assembled an Ag Hui with Al Santoro -the biggest organic farmer on O‘ahu- and with leaders of Kanu Hawai‘i, the Hawai‘i Food Policy Council, the Kokua Hawai‘i Foundation and a leading organic retailer. The bill we crafted is HB2703 in the House and SB2915. The teeth in this bill are as follows: if we fail to double the amount of food we grow by 2020, an automatic but temporary moratorium would block all reclassification of farmland from agriculture to urban until we do meet the standard. It’s intended to encourage large landowners to put some of their holdings into food production in perpetuity.
But be warned! There is still some skepticism amongst some senior members of the House leadership, so it is by no means a done deal. That means we will need strong testimony in support and we’re counting on you – we’ll let you know when and where you can help. In the meantime we know that this bill is not a cure-all. It won’t magically fix all the difficulties farmers face. But if the state is committed by law to double the amount of food it produces by the year 2020 -if growing food becomes a statewide priority- it will create an environment in which it will be easier to address the many other issues that farmers face – from leases and financing, to processing and marketing. Bottom line: we have chance to spark a farming renaissance in Hawai‘i.
My Email
Senator Dela Cruz,
I have seen you speak at the North Shore Ag Community meeting so I know you are interested in hearing the community speak on issues of ag and food security. Please give the community the chance to voice their support for HB 2703 by holding a hearing for this bill. EVERYONE agrees importing 90% our food is NOT sustainable. Making a goal and a plan for increasing local production of food (FOOD, not GMO seeds, not flowers) for local consumption, as this bill does, is a small, but important step in the direction of greater food security and increased self-sufficiency. Please schedule the bill for a hearing in order for other legislators to hear the community's voice as well. Thank you.