The budget passed by the state Legislature this week would send $1 million to Hawaiʻi food banks over the next two years.
On Tuesday lawmakers deferred House Bill 428, which would have created a state “farm to families” program, because funding for the program was added to the state budget bill.
Budget highlights refer to it as the “Farm to Foodbank Program” because the funding will go to local food banks, but will ultimately go toward feeding residents and curbing food insecurity in the state.
The budget allocation comes in place of a bill that would have created a state “farm to families” program to fund local food banks during food shortages.
“I think the term ‘farm to families’ just highlights the fact that it's families that are getting the benefit of the food. We’re really kind of a middleman in the process,” said Hawaiʻi Foodbank President and CEO Amy Miller.
“You work with farmers to purchase local food and then distribute them through our networks to families who really need access to this healthy, local foods.”
HB 428 would have established the program within the state Department of Agriculture — though in the budget the funding is under the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations — and the funding would be used during food shortages.
Food banks would be given the funds to facilitate food production and buy from local farmers. It would promote local agriculture and provide another resource for addressing local food insecurity, which is still on the rise.
A 2023 report by the Hawaiʻi Foodbank revealed that 30% of all local households experienced food insecurity that year, and about one-third of all local households with children reportedly have at least one child who is facing food insecurity.
“It is not just a statistic — it is a daily reality for one in three households across our islands,” said Vivienne Hill, representative for the Hawaiʻi Youth Food Council, in written testimony from March 27 supporting the bill.
“A child who is hungry cannot focus in school, cannot fully participate in their community, and is at greater risk of experiencing long-term physical and mental health challenges.”
Miller said there isn’t regular funding from the state that supports local food banks, and so appreciates the budgeted funding this year — especially in light of funding cuts at the federal level.
The Trump administration could threaten funds for low-income food support programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and it has already turned around shipments of food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that local food banks were supposed to receive this year.
The budget bill now goes to both chambers for a final reading.
