STAND. COM. REP. NO. 284

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 937

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 937 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII FOOD RESILIENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Establish a statewide food resiliency initiative that is recognized and supported by the Legislature and will achieve measurable goals of food self-sufficiency in a reasonable timeframe;

     (2)  Establish a Food Resiliency Branch in the Department of Agriculture to coordinate, promote, and implement the food resiliency initiative according to the initiative's stated benchmarks and goals;

     (3)  Establish a task force to set forth the specific benchmarks for the food resiliency initiative to achieve and a time in which to achieve those benchmarks; and

     (4)  Provide adequate resources to support the food resiliency initiative.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, League of Women Voters, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Office of Planning.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii is dangerously dependent on imported food.  It is estimated that Hawaii's current inventory of fresh produce would supply consumers in Hawaii for no more than ten days.  The State's reliance on out-of-state sources of food places residents at risk of food shortages in the event of natural disasters, economic disruption, and other external factors beyond the State's control.  Your Committee further finds that an increase in the production and sale of Hawaii-grown agricultural commodities would contribute to the economy and create a significant number of jobs.  It is estimated that increasing the amount of locally grown food by as little as ten percent would keep hundreds of millions of dollars circulating within Hawaii's economy and create thousands of new jobs.  Finally, your Committee finds that increased availability of local food typically ensures access to fresher, later-picked produce with greater vitamin content and higher nutritional value.  Therefore, increasing Hawaii's inventory of locally produced food will improve residents' health.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 937, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 937, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair