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Council adds $2 million for local food purchasing as resilience hubs discussion continues
Summary
Committee received public testimony supporting a local food purchasing incentive and approved a $2 million line item to fund a farm-to-family purchasing program and related resilience hub planning.
The Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee added a $2 million appropriation to seed a county program intended to boost purchases of locally grown food and support community resilience hubs.
Tom Crowley and Annie (executive director, Living Pono Project) testified during public comment in support of a local food purchasing incentive proposed by Council Member Gabe Johnson and urged continued funding for resilience hubs across the county. Living Pono Project said it has been operating resilience hub meetings and a distribution hub in Kahului to supply culturally appropriate, nutritious food to residents displaced or affected by the 2023 wildfires and other vulnerable populations.
The committee discussed program design questions raised by testifiers and members: how to verify local production, certification burdens for small farmers (Department of Health placards and distributor vendor systems were noted) and whether payments should be full price or partial reimbursements. Members and testifiers also urged preference for ‘‘kupuna/canoe crops''and for programs that serve households with the greatest need.
Council Member Gabe Johnson moved a countywide condition creating a "Local Nutrition Security Initiative, farm-to-family" grant program with $2,000,000 in funding for grants to county-based organizations to purchasefoods grown or harvested in Maui County. The motion required program rules to pay market value to producers and allowed processed foods only when 80% of ingredients are Maui-grown and the final product is produced on Maui. The motion also stipulated preference must be given to programs that purchase kupuna crops and to programs that serve the populations with the greatest need. It passed on a voice vote.
Committee members asked Finance and the Department of Agriculture to work together on program mechanics, including grant size, administrative arrangements and how the county will prioritize kupuna and culturally relevant crops. Department staff told the committee the concept aligns with the county food and nutrition security plan and said the department views additional purchasing funds as welcome and would coordinate eligible grantees such as the Maui Food Bank and federally qualified health centers.
