The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering $18.5 million through the Hawaiʻi Grown Partnership for Agriculture, or HiGPA, project. The funds will go toward conservation efforts and market expansion initiatives led by farmers, ranchers and forest managers across the islands.
Dana Shapiro is the CEO of the Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Co-op, which is one of the producer engagement teams that is helping to administer the program and provide assistance to applicants.
“This project really covers the full range of the types of land-based agriculture: anything from vegetable farming to orchards to
to forestry — all of those types of agriculture are covered,” Shapiro said. “Producers can be small or large, they can be implementing traditional Indigenous practices or modern agriculture practices, so really the common thread is that they must implement some sort of conservation practices.”
Conservation practices include mulching, cover cropping, nutrient management and fencing to keep invasive species out. The grant also covers marketing initiatives, which ranges from website development and brochures, to post-harvest equipment and food safety upgrades.
The initial $40 million USDA grant was called the Climate Smart Commodity Grant, but federal funding cuts in early 2025 terminated the money. Before the funds were canceled, Hawaiʻi project leaders had already allocated over $7 million to about 30 farmers and committed nearly 5,000 acres of land to conservation practices.
Earlier this year, the federal grant was relaunched under the name “Advancing Markets for Producers,” which allowed HiGPA to reserve $18.5 million to support local producers.
Shapiro noted how vital it is to strengthen local production and stewardship as Hawaiʻi imports over 80% of its food, leaving it vulnerable to things like weather and supply chain disruptions.
“It’s really important that we start to move the needle and produce more of our own food locally as a disaster resilience and food security measure,” she said. “Our agricultural landscapes are working landscapes. They provide ecosystem services, rural livelihoods and opportunities to preserve culture and heritage. So it's important to not only perpetuate farming, but help expand it.”
Shapiro added that this year’s Kona low storms put further strain and burden on local farmers, many of whom are still recovering. But she said extreme weather events like the March storms are not strangers to the islands, and they will continue to strengthen and happen more often as climate change worsens.
“The conservation practices this grant supports are all in-part designed to increase the resilience of Hawaiʻi farms,” Shapiro said. “Whether it's mulching, which helps retain soil moisture in the event of a drought, or if it's something like fencing that will help keep pigs out, these conservation practices are going to really help farms build their resilience.”
The period for pre-screening applications is now open through July 20. If approved, participants will receive a full application form that is due by July 31.
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