REPORT TITLE:
Appro.; Organic Products


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates $100,000 in FY 1999-2000 and $100,000 in FY 2000-
2001 to the Hawaii Organic Farmers Association for marketing
development of certified organic food products in Hawaii.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            1381        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR MARKETING DEVELOPMENT OF CERTIFIED
   ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTS IN HAWAII.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the State's organic
 
 2 industry had gross sales of $6,000,000 to $8,000,000 in 1996, an
 
 3 amount roughly equivalent to Hawaii's hog industry.  At the
 
 4 national level, gross sales of "certified organic" products
 
 5 reached $3,500,000,000 in 1996.  Once national standards for
 
 6 certified organic produce is adopted, probably in 1999, the value
 
 7 of this industry will increase.  Certified organic standards
 
 8 includes the prohibition of genetically engineered organisms,
 
 9 irradiation as a post-harvest treatment, and the use of sewage
 
10 sludge as fertilizer.  Organic agriculture is carried out in
 
11 Hawaii by farmers, many of whom are members of the Hawaii Organic
 
12 Farmers Association, which has about three hundred members.
 
13      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the
 
14 department of agriculture for market development to provide
 
15 Hawaii residents better access to Hawaii-grown certified organic
 
16 products and to stimulate the State's economy through the
 
17 production and sale of certified organic products.
 
18      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
19 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $100,000, or so much
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000, and the
 
 2 same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year
 
 3 2000-2001, to the department of agriculture for market
 
 4 development of certified organic food products to include the
 
 5 following activities:
 
 6      (1)  Development of educational materials for producers,
 
 7           consumers, and retailers on:
 
 8           (A)  The value of purchasing certified organic
 
 9                products;
 
10           (B)  How to become certified;
 
11           (C)  Updates for products on the status of the federal
 
12                standards and allowable inputs; and
 
13           (D)  Guidelines for retailers wanting to support the
 
14                integrity of certified organic agriculture;
 
15      (2)  Holding of seminars at the county level in conjunction
 
16           with other industry groups to:
 
17           (A)  Introduce culinary professionals and retailers to
 
18                locally-produced certified organic products;
 
19           (B)  Educate agricultural commodity producers on
 
20                organic certification requirements;
 
21      (3)  Production and dissemination of copies of a high-
 
22           quality video on Hawaiian organic agriculture that
 
23           highlights the types of crops available and appropriate
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           practices;
 
 2      (4)  Development of marketing materials for certified
 
 3           organic farmers including a sticker, stamp, and shelf
 
 4           talkers; and
 
 5      (5)  Development of a database of Hawaiian certified farms
 
 6           to assist in developing cooperative marketing.
 
 7      The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of
 
 8 agriculture for the purposes of this Act.
 
 9      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval,
 
10 except that section 2 shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
11 
 
12                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________