Governor Linda Lingle Proposes Initiatives to Improve Food Self-Sufficiency.
Governor Linda Linda speaking at the 5th Anniversary of the KCC Saturday Farmer's Market.
Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle in her 2009 State of the State address to the people of Hawaii shared her Administration's plan to achieve greater food self-sufficiency. Among the concerns raised (from a December 16, 2008 Hawaii Department of Agriculture White Paper entitled "Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii":
"There can be no local food without local farms. Increased food self-sufficiency in Hawai‘i requires a sustainable agricultural industry. Requirements for a viable agricultural industry include:"
- Land: Protect good agricultural land and provide long term leases and reasonable lease rents for farmers.
- Water: Maintain aging irrigation systems and plan and develop new systems. Ensure access to reliable, consistent and affordable water for agriculture.
- Energy: Address rising transportation, fertilizer, fuel, electricity, feed and other input costs.
- Labor: Develop programs to ensure agricultural labor availability and agricultural worker housing.
- Research: Support ongoing research to improve production, processing, and post-harvest handling; increase efficiency and yield; decrease inputs; and manage diseases and pests.
- Distribution: Encourage efficient distribution systems to move food to the marketplace including cost-effective transportation.
- Food Safety: Assist adoption of food safety practices throughout the food chain.
Another part of equation is increasing demand - Richard Ha, of the Big Island's Hamakua Springs Country Farms - "If the farmers make money, farmers will farm." In order for farmers to make money, we need to increase the demand for local products. Quoting the white paper "People need to understand agriculture and care about it to support it in the marketplace, at the legislature and in the choices they make everyday." The Food Self-Sufficiency White Paper proposes public awareness programs and marketing campaigns to promote locally grown products and encourage the public to seek and purchase local produce. By making connections between the farmers and the consumers, there will be an increase in demand, greater visibility, more consumption and a more familiarity with locally grown products. There are healthful benefits. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables supports healthier lifestyles and better nutrition. The economic impacts are also important because buying local goods keeps the money here in Hawaii and supports our economy as opposed to agribusinesses in other states and countries. Greater demand for local products will result in greater production of local products and reduces the need for importation of our food, thus increasing our food security and reducing the risk of importing alien pest species along with our food stuffs. In an economic analysis "Economic Impacts of Increasing Hawai'i Food Self-Sufficiency" done by Dr. Ping Sun Leung of CTAHR's Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering and Dr. Matthew Loke of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture Agricultural Development Division, they recognize that it will not be practical to be 100% food self sufficient. But small changes can amount to significant economic improvements. Their study found that by reducing our importation of food by just 10% and replacing it with local food would amount to an increase directly to farmers by $94 M; an increase in sales by $188 M, additional $47 M in earnings, $6 M in tax revenues and an additional 2,300 jobs. To accomplish these goals, several steps need to happen. Without land, water and infrastructure, farmers can't be successful. There needs to be an equitable process for land and water allocation that acknowledges the importance of food production. We must also preserve good agricultural lands, through purchase, designation of Important Agricultural Lands, through agricultural easements, and making long term leases available to farmers. We need to encourage new farmers and those willing to work in the agricultural industry. We need to raise public awareness and with it, increase public demand for local foods. By in large most people don't know nor care where their food comes from. We need to make the connection between farming and farmers to consumers - to teach them about local food production and what it takes to grow it. To make that connection - we need to expand the "Buy Fresh Buy Local" campaign to increase the demand for local products. Another way to connect consumers to farmers is through farmers markets and other direct marketing mechanisms, such as CSA's. Incentives for local institutional food buyers to buy local product will also help create demand. We must help farmers be successful through educational programs for risk management, costs of production, and on farm food safety. Finally, continued research and outreach efforts to help develop new varieties, products, and practices to improve efficiency and food quality both before and after harvest is important to ensure that we are best positioned to address incoming challenges.
It's been estimated that we have less than 5 days worth of food on our shelves and warehouses locally. What do you expect in a state that imports over 85% of its food supply. We are at risk to interruptions either through disruptions in our transportation system or our through natural disaster. It's time that we reduce the "food miles" Hawaii's food travels by expanding our food self-sufficiency and replacing those imports with healthy, fresh, local products. Buy Fresh Buy Local - Island Fresh is definitely "Mo bettah!"