Action Alert: Support Local Food Security!
Two important food security bills have been scheduled for hearings this Wednesday. See below for how you can take action
Support DA BUX!
Sadly, hunger and food insecurity are on the rise in Hawaiʻi. The SNAP Double Bux program, known as DA BUX has a track record as a highly effective anti-hunger program with multiple benefits. The program essentially doubles SNAP EBT benefits when recipients purchase locally grown produce. DA BUX simultaneously benefits Hawaiʻi farmers as well as those who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program helps recipients access nutritious, locally grown food, while bolstering our local economy. This bill also leverages federal funds. It’s a triple win! Please submit testimony in support.
HB 2771 HD1 has a joint hearing in the Senate Agriculture and Environment & Health and Human Services Committees on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 1:02 PM in Conference Room 224 and via Videoconference.
Written Testimony due Tuesday, March 12th
Support HB 2771 HD1- Fund DA BUX
What Does This Bill Do?
Appropriates funds to the Department of Agriculture for the continued administration of the Hawaii Healthy Food Incentive Program and to provide matching funds to beneficiaries who participate in SNAP.
Why Is This Important? Sample Testimony:
Aloha Chairs Gabbard and Buenaventura and Honorable Committee Members,
I am testifying in strong support of HB 2771 HD1.
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 HB 2771 HD1.
Thank you for your consideration,
Your Name, Town
(You will need a Capitol website account)
Support Healthy Fishponds
Appropriates moneys for mullet production for fishponds and stock enhancement, including for new positions, equipment, maintenance, and operating costs. Declares that the appropriations exceed the state general fund expenditure ceiling for 2024-2025.
SB 2329, SD1 has a hearing in the Agriculture and Food Systems Committee on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 8:30 AM in Conference Room 325 and via Videoconference.
Written Testimony due Tuesday, March 12th
Support SB 2329 SD1- Support Healthy Fishponds
What Does This Bill Do?
Appropriates moneys for mullet production for fishponds and stock enhancement, including for new positions, equipment, maintenance, and operating costs. Declares that the appropriations exceed the state general fund expenditure ceiling for 2024-2025.
Why Is This Important? Sample Testimony:
Aloha Chair Gates, Vice Chair Kahaloa and Honorable Committee Members,
I am testifying in strong support of SB 2329 SD1.
Loko ‘ia (fishponds) remain an important resource for feeding local communities and providing community and cultural connection. Healthy fishponds also support healthy nearshore fisheries.
Loko ʻia are not only important food sources for our local communities but important cultural sites providing space for communities to gather, connect to place and mālama.
Supporting the health of Loko ʻia will accelerate Hawaiʻi’s local food production and food security goals while also supporting indigenous traditional and customary cultural practices and community resilience.
Please support SB 2329 SD1.
Thank you for your consideration,
Your Name, Town
(You will need a Capitol website account)
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
