Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced Tuesday that the city's Office of Economic Revitalization will distribute $3 million to help local producers impacted by the pandemic and to promote food security on Oʻahu.
City Council Vice Chair Esther Kiaʻāina originally proposed the grants as part of a strategy to support local agriculture producers with federal grants, including local recovery funds. Her proposal was unanimously approved by the city council.
"To me, food security and sovereignty and economic diversification is not the kuleana of the state and federal governments," Kiaʻāina said.
"It's the kuleana of all of the levels of government, as well as the community and private sector ... We have to work collaboratively to make this happen, because if we don't, then we'll be continuing to talk about food security 20 years from now with nothing to show for it," she continued.
Bruce Campbell, the owner of Ma Farm in Waimānalo, is among the 66 producers receiving a grant from the city. During the pandemic, Campbell had to move his farm from Hawaiʻi Kai to Waimānalo — a feat he said was made easier with COVID-era support.
"Speaking for all the farmers who receive these grants, this is seed money to us. And farmers know what to do with seed — we grow it," Campbell said at Tuesday's announcement.
"But even greater than the value of the money, to be honest, is the fact that the city [has] acknowledged the importance of the small farmer. And that means the world to us."
The city's Office of Economic Revitalization and its partners held nine workshops in 2022 to encourage applications from small agriculture producers who suffered during the pandemic. A total of 127 farmers, ranchers and growers applied.
OER director Amy Asselbaye said $3 million is just the start of the city's campaign to support local growers.
"There's $8 million that was recently approved of American Rescue Plan funds to take our next step where the city helps to really make stronger the food systems infrastructure on our island," Asselbaye said.
Asselbaye said up to $2 million will be awarded to strengthen Oʻahu's food infrastructure. That includes building food processing facilities with cold storage and food safety training for small farms.
In 2022, the city unveiled itsGood Food Pledge. It's a written commitment outlining a promise to work with local farmers and use more locally sourced food. More than 20 Oʻahu hotels and restaurants signed the pledge in February.
Kamehameha Schools, Punahou School, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health and CNHA were among the first to sign the pledge in September 2022.
"We talk about food security and over-dependence on perhaps tourism. The fact is at least 85% of our food is imported. When you consider who we are in our isolation, that's an out-of-whack number," Blangiardi said.
"It's our goal to get our hands on as many federal dollars, or other money that we could possibly develop, to actually invest in this. If we're ever going to change that top number of being overly dependent on importing food. This is how you do it," he said.
For more information on the grants, click here.
