HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

120

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Urging the department of business, Economic development and tourism to update the Hawaii State Planning Act's economic objectives for agriculture.

 

 

 

WHEREAS, the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism maintains the Hawaii state planning act's objectives and policies for the economy in regard to agriculture; and

 

WHEREAS, the top priorities listed by the department are the viabilities of Hawaii's sugar and pineapple industries; and

 


     WHEREAS, the sugar and pineapple industries have played an important role in Hawaiian agriculture for over a century; and

 

     WHEREAS, sugar and pineapple farming has greatly declined in Hawaii over the past several decades; and

 

     WHEREAS, the vast amount of Maui lands dedicated to sugar production ceased operations in 2016; and

 

     WHEREAS, pineapple exportation has significantly decreased in Hawaii and now focuses on the smaller tourism market; and  

 

     WHEREAS, the state of Hawaii has declared sustainability and food security as a top priority; and

 

     WHEREAS, the state has a goal to double food production in Hawaii by 2020; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the Senate concurring, urges the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to study and update the Hawaii state planning act's economic objectives and policies for agriculture; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department is requested to work with the Department of Agriculture to realign these priorities to reflect a long term vision of sustainable agriculture and self-sufficiency in Hawaii; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department is requested to submit an updated priority list to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the start of the 2018 session; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, the President of the Hawaii Farm Bureau and the president of the Hawaii Farmer's Union United.

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Hawaii state planning act; agriculture objectives and policies; department of business economic development and tourism; department of agriculture.