While money was tight at the state Legislature this year, it was still another successful year for local agriculture and food security.
Losing federal funds, the rising cost of living, and recovery needs from the recent Kona low storms all presented challenges to settling on the state’s budget this year.
But despite that, Sen. Tim Richards, vice chair of the state Senate’s Committee on Agriculture and Environment, was satisfied with the support that was provided to local agriculture.
“We must have a balanced budget, and trying to get there was tough — but we were actually able to get it done,” he said to HPR. “Sure, I wanted more funding for agriculture, but we were able to get funding in places. So I have to say I am satisfied, given the hard climate that we were in.”
Some of the notable wins include the passage of House Bill 1707, which sets up a reimbursement pilot program for farmers transporting goods within the state — either agricultural commodities or supplies needed for farming.
Neighbor island farmers face higher costs to send goods within the state, and it’s getting worse with growing transportation costs.
Senate Bill 2169 gives the state Agribusiness Development Corporation the power of eminent domain to bring more land into active farming.
Some lawmakers were concerned about giving the ADC, which has had a history of mismanaging its farmland, the power to take over land.
But Rep. Cory Chun, the first-year chair of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems, said those worries were ironed out in conference hearings.
He said the bill now uses “friendly condemnation,” in which landowners and the state negotiate a sale of the land.
“We were trying to really craft the language to make sure that it would just allow ADC to do friendly condemnations,” Chun said. “The landowner has to be willing.”
He added that there are also tax benefits landowners can participate in if they sell their land this way.
“ADC can acquire agricultural land to preserve it, but then the landowner also gets this tax benefit where they don't have to pay the taxes on the (capital) gain as long as they transfer it to another property,” Chun said.
Food security advocates are also celebrating policies that will make it easier for kūpuna and inmates nearing the end of their sentences to participate in SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
SB 3245 allows those 60 years and older to reapply to SNAP every three years, up from the current annual requirement. It also simplifies the application process.
HB 1518 establishes a pre-release SNAP application process for inmates, which would allow benefits to start immediately after release.
Another win is the extra $900,000 going to the Farm to Families program for fiscal year 2027, which supports food banks purchasing from local farmers. That benefits both food security groups and local farmers.
“It's super exciting, and I know the food banks are happy. It’s going to be great for strengthening those connections between the emergency food system and farmers,” said Daniela Spoto, Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s Deputy Director.
Last year, state lawmakers gave the program $1 million, split between two years.
The state Legislature also picked food-related projects to fund with the state’s new Green Fee, though some were met with skepticism were met with skepticism for not being closely related enough to environmental stewardship.
The biggest Green Fee allocation for local agriculture was $7 million for the Food and Product Innovation Network, inserted by the Senate. The network provides infrastructure and other support for businesses to scale their food production.
Another $5 million was set aside for invasive species management, which the state Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity spearheads for the state.
Some of the state’s capital improvement projects will help local agriculture. They include $60 million for fixes to the Wahiawā dam, which almost reached capacity during the Kona low storms, and $15 million for the Royal Kunia Agricultural Park.
There was additional funding for the rehabilitation and expansion of irrigation systems, which are often in need of repair.
Money was also set aside for regional kitchens, including $8 million just for the Leilehua–Mililani–Waialua Complex Area.
Advocates and lawmakers said it was a successful Legislative session for farming and food security.
“As we're going through the session … we were thrilled that there were still quite a bit of agriculture bills remaining,” said Brian Miyamoto, executive director for the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau. And quite frankly, we are pleased with what ultimately passed through the budget, through CIP, and as bills.”
It’s been a string of decent years for farming and food security. In recent sessions, notable wins have included policies and funding to improve the state’s management of invasive species, food labeling rules, and student access to free school meals.
Richards said it could be because there’s been more advocacy at the state Capitol as of late.
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