Action Alert: Support Farm to Families
Did you know that one in three households in Hawaiʻi reports experiencing food insecurity? Take a moment to support a bill addressing the staggering increase in food insecurity while also supporting our local farmers and producers.
The House Committee on Finance will hear a Farm to Families bill this Thursday, Feb. 20th at 2:00pm in Conference Room 308 and via video conference. Testimony is due tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 19th at 2:00pm, but late testimony is still accepted.
Support HB428 HD1: Farm to Families
What Does This Bill Do?
Establishes the Hawaiʻi Farm to Families Program to alleviate food shortages in the State. Connects food insecure households with locally grown and produced food.
Why Is This Important? Sample Testimony:
Please support HB428 HD1. The statistics around food insecurity in Hawaii are staggering. One in three households in Hawaiʻi report experiencing food insecurity. Nearly half (46%) of ALICE households lack consistent access to food. Increasing the ability of food banks to purchase locally grown food is a win-win for our communities and farmers. One major challenge local farmers face is access to markets. This will help grow our local food and agriculture economy while providing our communities with nutritious food. As the cost of imports continues to increase, investing in our local food economy will help bolster our local production and food security in the long term.
Preparing Hawaiʻi’s families in the wake of disaster, food banks rely almost exclusively on private donations and grants, even though local governments rely heavily on them during times of crisis. The Farm to Families program would provide funding for purchasing from local farmers, improving emergency food access for families and opening up a local market for farmers during times of economic crisis.
Mahalo for taking action!
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.
Learn more information below about HAPA’s 2024 FSFS policy agenda 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!
Mahalo for taking action!
