Local leaders are describing a “crisis” as the Trump administration's actions impact farming and food security in Hawaiʻi — and they say the situation could get even worse.
In an informational briefing with state lawmakers Thursday, state officials and nonprofit representatives said the fallout and uncertainty from shifting federal policies make it difficult for farming operations to grow, or even continue.
Those include tariffs, cuts, and other changes to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other programs that help farmers.
Most recently, the ongoing federal government shutdown has made USDA services like loan processing, reimbursements for certain programs and certifications for exporting goods unavailable to farmers.
“Farmers are left without clear guidance or predictable access to critical federal resources that sustain production and innovation,” said Brian Miyamoto, executive director for the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau.
“Over the past several months, we've heard from local producers who have considered pausing planned expansions, cutting back on staff hours, or delaying infrastructure improvements due to uncertainty in federal support. Input prices for feed, fertilizer and fuel remain volatile, and global tariff adjustments have made both imports and exports more expensive,” Miyamoto said.
Direct federal funding losses to Hawaiʻi can range anywhere from $64.7 million to $175 million, according to the latest report by the Oʻahu Resource Conservation and Development Council. The August report is an update to one in March that said $88 million was lost.
Most of the extra $100 million that could be lost would come from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.
Federal cuts have directly hurt the ability of families to purchase enough food, and have weakened food banks — so some of the safety nets in place to feed those families are struggling, too.
The ongoing federal government shutdown is making the situation even worse.
”If the federal shutdown continues beyond this month, I think we are in real, real trouble,” said Hawaiʻi Foodbank President and CEO Amy Miller. ”We just don't have the capacity. Our costs are going up. USDA commodities are down, and the need just continues to rise. … We are committed to being there for our community. I want to say that really clearly. But food banks on the continent are reducing their volume, closing down for certain days, they're letting go of staff because this is a crisis.”
About one-third of Hawaiʻi families are food insecure, according to a 2023 food bank report, and the demand for the food bank's services has increased to levels reached during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the presentation, state lawmakers were urged to add more funding and consider new policies to help farmers and give residents more access to food.
