SR114 SD1.DOC

WHEREAS, the downsizing of sugar and pineapple production in the agriculture industry in Hawaii has resulted in local people losing their jobs and active farmlands becoming inactive; and

WHEREAS, according to the 2015 Statewide Agricultural Land Use Baseline, it was reported that Hawaii's active agricultural land has decreased from 350,830 acres in 1980 to 151,830 acres in 2015, and that it is highly unlikely Hawaii will ever see that amount of land in active crop production again; and

WHEREAS, although the cessation of sugar and pineapple production has had significant impacts on communities that were once dependent on plantation economies, it also presents the opportunity to transition towards a diversified agricultural model; and

WHEREAS, a twenty-first century agriculture industry must be based on scale and innovation to create highly-skilled agricultural jobs that are not representative of traditional farming; and

WHEREAS, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture and Purdue University, the United States expects an annual average of nearly sixty thousand highly-skilled job openings in agriculture and agriculture-related industries; and

WHEREAS, the State established the Agribusiness Development Corporation in 1994 to facilitate the transition of former plantation land and water systems to diversify Hawaii's agricultural industry, initiate the development and support of agricultural facilities to assist local farmers, and provide solutions to issues facing the agricultural industry; and

WHEREAS, purchasing agricultural land and adding to the State's inventory protects agricultural land and also provides local farmers with long-term leases; and

WHEREAS, in 2012, the State purchased over seventeen hundred acres of agricultural land from the Galbraith Estate through a coordinated effort of the State, City and County of Honolulu, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, United States Army, and D.R. Horton; and

WHEREAS, the Agribusiness Development Corporation received twelve hundred acres of agricultural land and has dedicated this land to the Whitmore Project, which is a detailed plan to revitalize the local agricultural industry; and

WHEREAS, the Whitmore Project provides the following solutions:

(1) Long-term lease options on state land;

(2) Enhanced use leases;

(3) Decreased cost and time of transportation due to clustered services;

(4) Increased scale and diversity of products;

(5) Co-working opportunities to leverage the high cost of equipment and supplies;

(6) Converting idle and arable land into active land to achieve scale and diversity of product;

(7) State and county tax incentives; and

(8) Partnership opportunities; and

WHEREAS, placing more farmers on state land with long-term leases is crucial to increasing local food production, self-sufficiency, and food security; and

WHEREAS, the State should continue to purchase agricultural land to ensure farmers can scale products and make investments into their business; and

WHEREAS, the Whitmore Project will create clusters made up of distribution, processing, support, and production to deliver services and food more efficiently and will create jobs for highly-skilled workers in the ag-tech industry; and

WHEREAS, the Governor's Administration recognizes the importance of self-sufficiency and has shown its commitment to the Whitmore Project by continuing to invest in and acquire agricultural lands and facilities; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, that this body expresses its recognition of the Whitmore Project's mission to revitalize Hawaii's local agricultural industry by bringing farmers and the State together to increase local food production, create jobs, engage in partnerships, and provide workforce housing; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Agribusiness Development Corporation is requested to continue its efforts to acquire land and provide experienced local farmers with long-term leases; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation and Executive Director of the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

Report Title:

Whitmore Project; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Diversified Agriculture

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	114
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII