Exciting Updates + Action Alerts: Support Food Equity
UPDATES:
Great news! HAPA’s priority food systems bills are moving. Mahalo to each and everyone of you taking action. This wouldn’t be possible without your time and efforts.
We have some exciting updates, here’s the scoops. Four of our priority bills just passed out of their first committee. Huge mahalo to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment for prioritizing a food system that centers public health and support for our local food producers!
PASSED!
SB3315: RUP Bufferzones
SB3316: Improved RUP Disclosure
SB 3247: Interisland Shipping Tax Credit for Produce & Ag Goods
SB 3302: Farmer & Producer Tax Credit
Please take a moment to mahalo the Senators on this Committee for their support.
ACTION ALERTS!
Four bills seeking to advance a more sustainable and equitable food system have been scheduled for a hearing this Wednesday, Feb. 14th in the House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems and the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.
House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems (AGR)
Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 9:15am
Conference Room 325 & Videoconference
State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street
SUPPORT:
HB2130: Sustainable Food Systems
HB2137: Farm to Food Bank
HB2771: DA BUX
House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce (CPC)
Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 02:00 pm
Conference Room 329 & Videoconference
State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street
SUPPORT:
HB2136 HD1: Improved Pesticide (RUP) Disclosure
ALL Written Testimony due Tuesday, February 13th
Support HB2130: Sustainable Food Systems
What Does This Bill Do?
Establishes the Sustainable Food Systems Working Group to develop an interagency food systems plan.
Why Is This Important? Sample Testimony:
Aloha Chair Gates, Vice Chair Kahaloa and Members of the Committee,
Please support HB 2130.
I support HB 2130 which establishes the Sustainable Food Systems Working Group to develop an interagency food systems plan.
Too many families in Hawaiʻi are facing food insecurity, our farmers struggle to access affordable land and water, and climate change poses threats to our local food production. However, a more resilient food system can address these various challenges but only if we take a coordinated approach.
We can meet our goals of increasing local food production while also diversifying our local economy. Because our food system is so broad and complex, a plan will be needed to identify how the various sectors of our food system can work together to increase local food security.
A coordinated food systems plan led by key stakeholders across our food system can help connect the dots between local food producers, consumers, state institutional purchasing and community anti-hunger efforts. This work is critical to identify and advance solutions to fix our reliance on imports and to create a sustainable and equitable food economy.
Please support HB 2130 to create a sustainable food systems working plan for Hawaiʻi.
Mahalo for your consideration!
Your Name, Town
(You will need a Capitol website account)
Support HB2137: Farm to Food Bank
What Does This Bill Do?
Establishes the Hawaiʻi farm to food bank program and Hawaiʻi food assistance program special fund to alleviate rising hunger rates in Hawaiʻi.
Why Is This Important? Sample Testimony:
Aloha Chair Gates, Vice Chair Kahaloa and Members of the Committee,
Sadly, hunger is on the rise in Hawaiʻi and therefore so is the number of households which rely on food banks. This measure would provide a source of funding for the program to fund state food banks to purchase, store, and transport food grown or produced in Hawaiʻi to local communities for distribution. This program will serve our food needs, provide local food producers with a supporting market and keep money in Hawaiʻi, benefiting our economy.
In addition to reducing hunger, food banks help to build communities by providing jobs and purchasing goods and services from local businesses, creating an economic stimulus in the areas they serve. Importantly, food donations also help low-income families free up money to meet other basic needs.
Supporting locally sourced food benefits the local economy, helps us become less dependent on tourism and more resilient and secure as an island chain. Growing, processing, and distributing food locally creates and sustains community-based jobs. Direct marketing channels between farmers and consumers boosts local farmers' incomes.
Closer proximity relationships with our food will in turn also reduce carbon emissions related to shipping and packaging waste associated with importation from the United States.
Please support HB 2137 to help grow Hawaiʻiʻs agricultural sector and bolster local food security. Mahalo for your consideration!
Your Name, Town
(You will need a Capitol website account)
Support HB2771: DA BUX
What Does This Bill Do?
DA BUX program partners with food retailers to make Hawaiʻi grown fruits and vegetables more affordable for SNAP-EBT cardholders. Through DA BUX, SNAP benefit dollars are doubled when they’re spent on qualifying local food items at participating stores. Those items tend to be healthier produce and fresh foods and being locally sourced directly supports Hawaiʻi’s food economy.
Why Is This Important? Sample Testimony:
Aloha Chair Gates, Vice Chair Kahaloa and Members of the Committee,
I am testifying in strong support of HB2771.
DA BUX program partners with food retailers to make Hawaiʻi grown fruits and vegetables more affordable for SNAP-EBT cardholders. Through DA BUX, SNAP benefit dollars are doubled when they’re spent on qualifying local food items at more than 70 participating retail locations statewide. Those items tend to be healthier produce and fresh foods and being locally sourced directly supports Hawaiʻi’s food economy.
Even before the pandemic, DA BUX program was succeeding. Now more than ever, it is changing lives for the better in four very tangible and important ways including:
Putting more food on the tables of local families in need
Providing incentives that encourage people to buy locally grown and produced food
Strengthening the local economy by keeping more dollars in Hawaiʻi
Improving local health by providing incentives to eat fresher, unprocessed foods
DA BUX program works and should be continued and expanded upon where possible. The program is a tangible solution to supporting local food production and helping families access quality fresh food.
Please support HB2771 Mahalo for your consideration!
Your Name, Town
(You will need a Capitol website account)
Support HB 2136 HD1: Improved Pesticide (RUP) Disclosure
What Does This Bill Do?
Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish and implement a pesticide inspection program to increase compliance with the proper use of restricted use pesticides by agricultural producers, ensure the continued prohibition on the use of chlorpyrifos, and inform the public of the most recent pesticide inspection results for agricultural producers. Amends the contents of reports to include specific geospatial data and information, site information, and increased detail on the amount of restricted use pesticides used.
Why Is This Important? Sample Testimony:
Aloha Chair Gates, Vice Chair Kahaloa and Members of the Committee,
I am testifying in strong support of HB 2136 HD1.
Pesticide exposure can cause significant harm to public health and the environment. Restricted use pesticides have been deemed to have a high potential to cause harm to surrounding communities, farm workers, pollinators, the environment, and other crops
As such, comprehensive pesticide use data is essential to accurately assess risks and ensure that communities are protected from adverse impacts. The US regulatory system often acts after an overwhelming amount of harm has occurred and been proven through long-term studies. The current reporting system in Hawaiʻi does provide geographically specific enough data to conduct credible public health studies.
HB 2136 HD1. amends the contents of reports to include specific geospatial data and information, site information, and increased detail on the amount of restricted use pesticides used. Currently the full data has only been accessible via a formal UIPA request. By requiring the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture to develop an online reporting tool for restricted use pesticides, the bill importantly removes an additional barrier for residents seeking transparency.
Please support HB 2136 HD1. Mahalo for your consideration!
Your Name, Town
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View HAPA’s 2024 Fair & Sustainable Food Systems Policy Agenda
Join us this session in supporting a broad array of bills designed to support local farmers, food producers, increase local food production, address inequities in our food system such as food insecurity, and support regenerative and indigenous farming/food production practices.
See more information below about HAPA’s 2024 FSFS policy agenda below and take action in support of these Fair & Sustainable Food System policy priorities!
New to Legislative Engagement? Learn more about how to engage in the Legislative Session!
Make sure you have set up your account on the Hawaii State Legislature website. If you are new to the process, see this helpful page on legislative engagement 101 from the Public Access Room including a link on how to submit testimony!
About Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action
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The Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA) is deeply committed to championing social, economic, and environmental justice throughout Hawaiʻi. Recognizing the interconnected nature of food systems, we underscore that the challenges plaguing these systems are not isolated from broader social, economic, and environmental concerns. We believe in an integrated approach that addresses these interdependencies to create a just, equitable, and sustainable future for Hawaiʻi.
Contact: info@hapahi.org | (808) 212-9616
