Bill Text: HI SCR164 | 2018 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 164 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Requesting The Board Of Agriculture To Submit A Recommended Definition Of "agricultural Hub" Or "food Hub" And, In Collaboration With The Agribusiness Development Corporation, University Of Hawaii At Hilo, University Of Hawaii College Of Tropical Agriculture And Human Resources, And Other Entities Deemed Appropriate By The Board Of Agriculture, Identify Areas In The State That Are Potentially Suitable To Become Agricultural Hubs Or Food Hubs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-04-13 - Report adopted. referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 1 with Representative(s) Thielen voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Fukumoto, C. Lee, McKelvey, Mizuno, Woodson excused (5). [SCR164 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2018-SCR164-Amended.html

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	164
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE TO SUBMIT A RECOMMENDED DEFINITION OF "AGRICULTURAL HUB" OR "FOOD HUB" AND, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII COLLEGE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN RESOURCES, AND OTHER ENTITIES DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, IDENTIFY AREAS IN THE STATE THAT ARE POTENTIALLY SUITABLE TO BECOME AGRICULTURAL HUBS OR FOOD HUBS.

WHEREAS, in response to the fading of the sugar and pineapple industries that negatively impacted the State's agricultural industry and resulted in lost jobs, the State established the Agribusiness Development Corporation (Corporation) in 1994; and

WHEREAS, the mission of the Corporation is to acquire, and manage in partnership with farmers, ranchers, and aquaculture groups, selected high value lands, water systems, and infrastructure for commercial agricultural use and to direct research into areas that will lead to the development of new crops, markets, and lower production costs; and

WHEREAS, the three main goals of the Corporation are to:

(1) Help with the transition of former plantation lands and water systems to diversify the State's agricultural industry;

(2) Initiate the development and support of agricultural facilities to assist farmers in Hawaii; and

(3) Provide solutions to issues facing the State's agricultural industry; and

WHEREAS, since its inception, the Corporation has taken advantage of its unique position to coordinate federal, state, and private resources to maximize agribusiness opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the Corporation has developed expertise to handle large tracts of agricultural lands and major irrigation systems and currently has projects on all the main islands of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, one such project is the Whitmore Project, which is a detailed plan to revitalize the State's agricultural industry by bringing farmers and the State together to increase local food production, create jobs, engage in partnerships, and provide workforce housing; and

WHEREAS, the Whitmore Project is a result of the State purchasing over 1,700 acres of the Galbraith Estate and Whitmore Annex in Central Oahu in 2012; and

WHEREAS, included in the Whitmore Project is an agricultural hub intended to be used as a processing and packaging tech park to facilitate the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and marketing of locally produced food products from the agricultural lands owned by the Corporation; and

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture is looking for ways to build and strengthen regional and local food systems; and

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture found that farmers, producers, consumers, processors, retailers, and buyers in regional food system developments are struggling to get their products to market quickly and efficiently and need access to trucks, warehouses, processing space, and storage, which require capital investment, infrastructure maintenance, and dedicated oversight; and

WHEREAS, small and mid-sized farmers and producers are often unable to afford or manage trucks, warehouses, processing space, and storage themselves; and

WHEREAS, agricultural hubs provide wider access to institutional and retail markets for small to mid-sized farmers and producers, and increase access to fresh, healthy foods for consumers, including consumers in underserved areas; and

WHEREAS, the agricultural hub included under the Whitmore Project will greatly assist local farmers and producers; and

WHEREAS, however, the State's Department of Agriculture lacks a definition of "agricultural hub" or "food hub" to enable the development of additional hubs in Hawaii that are similar to the agricultural hub proposed under the Whitmore Project; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Board of Agriculture is requested to submit a recommended definition of "agricultural hub" or "food hub" to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Agriculture is requested to include under the recommended definition of "agricultural hub" or "food hub" language that reflects that the hub is a centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and marketing of locally produced food products; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Agribusiness Development Corporation, University of Hawaii at Hilo, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, and other entities deemed appropriate by the Board of Agriculture, is requested to identify areas in the State that are potentially suitable to become agricultural hubs or food hubs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, Chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, and Executive Director of the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

Report Title:

Agricultural Hub; Food Hub; Board of Agriculture; Agribusiness Development Corporation