The new chair of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems said his focus will be on legislation addressing biosecurity and food security in the state.
Rep. Cory Chun was appointed as the committee chair following recent changes in House leadership.
Chun's district includes parts of Pearl City and Waipahu on Oʻahu. He's replacing former chair Kirstin Kahaloa, who's been named the new majority caucus leader.
In an email statement to Hawaiʻi Public Radio, Chun said he'd build on the work Kahaloa and the committee have done so far, “as we recognize that protecting our environment and ensuring food security are essential to the health and resilience of our communities.”
He said that the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle has “decimated” coconut trees in the district he represents.
Chun, who convened the state Legislature's Kūpuna Caucus this year, said that “food security is a growing issue for our state's aging population. This opportunity will help explore additional ways in which Hawaiʻi can support and feed our local people.”
The agriculture committees in both the House and the Senate have been applauded recently for collaborating on legislation related to farming and invasive species.
Chun didn’t respond when asked if that level of collaboration would continue while he's chair. But he commended Kahaloa's work as chair, saying that she “set a strong foundation by championing biosecurity efforts that empower rapid response against invasive species, strengthen interagency coordination, and equip the state with the tools needed to keep environmental threats out of our islands.”
Chun is a relative newcomer to the state Legislature who was first elected in 2022.
This session, he served as vice chair of Consumer Protection and Commerce, and a member on the Health and Human Services and Homelessness committees. In 2024, he served as the vice chair of the House Committee on Corrections, Military and Veterans.
The move rippled from the removal of Rep. Kyle Yamashita from his influential position as chair of the House Committee on Finance. In May, House Speaker Nadine Nakamura announced that Rep. Chris Todd would replace Yamashita as the finance committee chair.
But in doing so, Todd vacated his position as majority caucus leader.
While Kahaloa now fills that role, she'll continue to be a member of the agriculture committee, according to an updated list of appointments from the House.
