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or related fields. A total of thirteen (13) public listening sessions and four (4) industry feedback sessions were conducted in order to solicit public input regarding the plan. Additionally, an ad hoc committee (Appendix A) was formed to provide plan development oversight and met several times to review and discuss the ongoing process. Among the contributions of the ad hoc committee is the vision statement that,4 thriving and sustainable agriculture industry is a vital contributor to Hawai `i County's economy, rural lifestyle, and character, by producing food, fiber, energy, and ornamentals for local consumption and export. The 2010 County of Hawaii Agriculture Development Plan consists of four parts. Section I provides background information that includes definitions, physical resources available for agriculture production, a brief history of Hawaii Island agriculture, an overview of recent market trends and the missing links. Section II presents a discussion of the role of County government in the agriculture industry and a list of specific policies and recommended actions for the County of Hawaii to respond to the major opportunities and challenges identified in the industry and public listening process. Section III introduces 12 key agricultural system elements with recommended action items resulting from industry and public listening sessions. Section IV includes detailed crop -specific discussions of current industry trends and potential for future development. This section was compiled by Agricon Hawaii LLC in collaboration with industry experts. It was not addressed in the public listening sessions of September 2009 and, as such, was not subject to substantive review or revision by The Kohala Center. The purpose of this plan is to serve as a guide for County actions intended to revitalize agriculture as a basis for economic development, creation of policies, allocation of resources, and advocacy for the stabilization and growth of agriculture on Hawaii Island. Recommended goals that reflect the expressed wishes of the agricultural industry and community members who provided comment for this plan include: • Expand Hawaii Island food production so that 30% of its residents' demand for food can be supplied by local producers by 2020. • Remove impediments that currently exist between local agricultural producers and export markets. • Protect local agriculture from the introduction of invasive species and pathogens. • Promote and support educational programs that provide the opportunity for agricultural industry participants of all sorts to productively, profitably, and sustainably expand Hawai`i's agricultural systems. The County actions needed to achieve the goals for agriculture on Hawaii Island are numerous. This Plan includes the following recommendations for immediate County government attention: (1) Increase or reallocate existing resources for the County of Hawaii Department of Research and Development (R&D) Agriculture Program so that the County can be an active and more effective leader in implementing or facilitating the actions deemed important by the stakeholders consulted during the planning process and which are embodied in this plan. The following County functions were identified in public listening sessions as critical to the growth of the agriculture industry on the island: (a) marshalling resources for key infrastructure projects that would broadly benefit the agricultural sector; (b) serving as a liaison and ombudsman for 2 to