STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2586

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3197

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 3197 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a farmer apprentice mentoring program to teach and train farmers to utilize a whole farm system approach to agriculture; and

(2) Make an appropriation for the Department of Agriculture to provide mentoring on a whole farm system approach to agriculture.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Adaptations, Inc.; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Hawai‘i Farmers Union United; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii imports between eighty-five and ninety percent of its food. The State's reliance on food imports makes it particularly vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, which have occurred frequently during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. A whole farm system approach to agriculture will allow the State to reduce the need for imported food.

Your Committee finds that this measure is intended to establish a farmer training program. Your Committee has heard the concerns raised in testimony regarding the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture establishing the curriculum for the program, as proposed by this measure.

Your Committee understands these concerns and notes that S.B. No. 2709, S.D. 1 (Regular Session of 2020), which was previously passed by your Committee, also sought to establish a farmer training program. Your Committee finds that the language in S.B. No. 2709, S.D. 1, is preferable because it establishes a beginning farmer training program under the University of Hawaii West Oahu Sustainable Community Food Systems in conjunction with qualified farmer training providers. The language in S.B. No. 2709, S.D. 1, is also preferable because it articulates topic areas and allows program applicants to apply for funding.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its contents and inserting the contents of S.B. No. 2709, S.D. 1, a measure that:

(A) Establishes a Beginning Farmer Training Program to be administered by the University of Hawaii West Oahu Sustainable Community Food Systems; and

(B) Appropriates $2,000,000 in general funds to the University of Hawaii for the Beginning Farmer Training Program; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3197, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3197, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair