Report Title:

Organic Agriculture; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates $___ to support the establishment of an organic agriculture center and improve food security in Waianae.(HB2849 HD1)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2849

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

making an appropriation for organic agriculture.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the Waianae region of Oahu, as described in the 2002 Food Security Task Force Report (a report to the legislature on S.C.R. No. 75, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, 2002), suffers from the worst food security in Hawaii. The report defines household food insecurity as, "whenever the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways is limited or uncertain."

Leeward community college and the Waianae Community Re-Development Corporation (WCRC), a Hawaii nonprofit community development corporation, have a collaborative partnership to develop the Waianae Organic Agriculture Center (WOAC), a facility to promote and support the improvement of the Waianae community's food security through the linking of higher education, applied research, and organic food production in the Waianae region.

The partnership has secured funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop WOAC. However, additional funding is needed to support the initial operational costs.

WOAC objectives are to:

(1) Create new local jobs in the diversified agriculture industry;

(2) Train farm workers and provide technical assistance to new and existing farmers;

(3) Improve crop production and develop new products and new markets;

(4) Provide fresh and safe food within the Waianae community, especially to those most at-risk;

(5) Preserve working rural areas;

(6) Increase clean, resource-efficient, and sustainable farm practices; and

(7) Build alliances among farmers, the higher education sector, consumers, and the community.

WOAC will support the higher education and employment goals of youth in Waianae by building upon WCRC's recently established MA'O Youth Leadership Training, which has successfully trained and employed out-of-school Waianae youth to be future farmers. This has provided a healthy alternative to Waianae youth in a community devastated by crystal methamphetamine.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to provide fifty per cent of the operational needs of WOAC. Federal programs and private foundations are being approached to provide additional funds.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005 for Leeward community college's partnership with the Waianae Community Re-Development Corporation in operating the Waianae Organic Agriculture Center.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2004.