Bill Text: HI SCR38 | 2020 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Requesting The Office Of The Lieutenant Governor To Establish A Multi-stakeholder Task Force To Advance State Procurement Of Locally Produced Food.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-06-26 - Referred to LAB/AGR, referral sheet 50 [SCR38 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2020-SCR38-Amended.html

THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

38

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TO ESTABLISH A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER TASK FORCE TO ADVANCE STATE PROCUREMENT OF LOCALLY PRODUCED FOOD.

 

 


     WHEREAS, as the State strives to increase procurement of locally produced food, it is imperative that procedures, programs, and infrastructure be developed to enable all of Hawaii's farmers to participate in the state procurement process; and

 

     WHEREAS, local food hubs, agricultural cooperatives, and similar entities play a key role in aggregating products to volumes that promote institutional purchasing and distribution, as well as providing services such as quality control; and

 

     WHEREAS, state purchasing from local food hubs and agricultural cooperatives supports the State's goals of increased local food production, food security, and agricultural self-sufficiency; and

 

     WHEREAS, linking local farms to state departments and agencies not only increases the State's collective capacity for food production, but connects communities with the āina, improves public health, develops an educated agricultural workforce, and enriches the local food system and environment; and

 

     WHEREAS, a successful farm-to-state program has the potential to increase local food production to fuel the evolution of the local farming sector into a thriving small business sector that generates safe commercial food volumes and increases the communities' resiliency and capacity to create jobs; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Office of the Lieutenant Governor is requested to establish a multi-stakeholder task force to advance the state procurement of locally produced food with key partners, including the State Procurement Office, Department of Education's Āina Pono, food hub operators and family and small-scale farmers, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, and distributors and groups that advocate for family and small-scale farmers; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to develop a framework to address:

 

     (1)  Increasing regional sourcing of local food through food hubs, cooperatives, and family and small-scale farmers;

 

     (2)  Measuring the number of family and small-scale farm livelihoods that benefit from purchases of locally produced foods by the farm-to-state program;

 

     (3)  Establishing mechanisms to promote contracts with producers and ensure timely payments for local food acquired by the State;

 

     (4)  Purchasing directly from family and small-scale farmers and food hubs;

 

     (5)  Identifying supports and resources needed to develop, expand, and connect Hawaii's local food production and distribution; and

 

     (6)  A clear and flexible structure and interface for exclusively local food operators; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chief Procurement Officer, Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, Director of Health, President of the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and President of the Hawaii Farmers Union United.

Report Title: 

Local Food Procurement; Task Force

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