RES 061 Draft 01 2010-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Executive Summary Hawaii is the most isolated inhabited landmass on the planet, located approximately 2,500 miles from North America and Asia. This geographical isolation, coupled with the state's current reliance on imported goods, means that Hawai`i's food supply and its agricultural export industry are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and other events beyond the control of local markets and local government. The contamination of imported food and the introduction of invasive species via imports create significant risks to the state's food supply. Although the Hawaii State Constitution calls for the conservation and protection of agricultural land—as well as for the promotion of diversified agriculture and an increase in agricultural self- sufficiency—these principles have not yet been fully realized. From 1995-2005, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture conducted a study that revealed that food consumption in the state had outpaced local food production in most categories. The results of the study, as reported by its authors PingSun Leung and Mathew Loke, concluded that Hawaii had become less food self- sufficient. Also, a white paper issued by the same agency reported that this trend of increased reliance on imported food must be reversed in order to provide a greater degree of food safety for the state. With its extensive arable lands and rich farming/ranching traditions, Hawaii County is uniquely positioned to correct this imbalance. Its support of agriculture is a vital factor to preserving the industry as one of the island's primary economic drivers. Understanding this, in the spring of 2008, the County of Hawaii Department of Research and Development (R&D) sought proposals for the preparation of an updated County of Hawaii Agriculture Development Plan. The 1992 County of Hawaii Agriculture Development Plan reflects the dominant role of sugar production as an economic driver for the island economy. With the demise of the sugar plantations—which caused dramatic changes in Hawai`i's agriculture industry—the County of Hawaii Department of Research and Development recognized the necessity for a new examination of the Hawai' i Island's agriculture industry. The Kohala Center, a nonprofit independent research and education institute based in Waimea, answered the call to prepare a 2010 Agriculture Development Plan for the County of Hawaii. The Kohala Center has endeavored to revise the 1992 plan to address market and societal changes and to provide a template for County government officials to participate in this important economic sector. For this effort, The Kohala Center enlisted the help of local agricultural expertise and has relied on information provided by members of the local agricultural community. Agricon Hawaii LLC, an agribusiness consulting firm that provides business and technical services to Hawaii, the Pacific Basin, and other tropical environments, was a key collaborator and link to local growers and commodity groups. The firm contributed in-depth understanding of market and transportation impacts and the inner -workings of island export agriculture. Devising this plan followed a process designed to glean maximum input from both the community at large and from that segment of the community engaged in agriculture production