Support these Good Food and Agriculture Bills!

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*Reposted Action Alert courtesy of Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA), shared with permission.

Support these Good Food and Agriculture Bills on Friday Feb. 5, 1pm in the Senate Agriculture Committee.

SB 337 Cover Crop Incentives, Testify Here by 1pm Thursday

Establishes a cover crop reimbursement pilot program to provide up to one hundred per cent cost reimbursement to farming operations in the State for acquiring cover crop seeds or green manure. Establishes a cover crop reimbursement pilot program manager position within the Department of Agriculture to administer the program. Requires a report to the Legislature.

  • Supports sustainable farming practices.

  • Cover crops conserve soil and water and prevent runoff impacting nearshore reefs and fisheries.

  • Cover crops build organic matter and improve soil health and nutrients.

  • Reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers, saves farmers money in inputs.

  • This kind of cover crop reimbursement program has been successfully implemented in other states.

SB 338 Food Hub Pilot Program, Testify Here by 1pm Thursday

Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a five-year food hub pilot program to increase access to local food. Provides for the award of grant funding to qualified applicants wishing to establish or expand a food hub.

  • Food hubs provide necessary aggregation of produce from small local farmers to help bring produce to market.

  • Food hubs promote local production of culturally appropriate, nutritious foods

  • Will promote local jobs

  • Local aggregation helps to decrease in carbon emissions related to shipping

  • Would help to relieve pressure in emergency situations, such as the recent overwhelming conditions in stores and on supply systems during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Will provide greater food system equity, taking better care of those living in “food desserts”

SB512 SNAP Incentives, Testify Here by 1pm Thursday

Removes the $10 per visit per day cap on the dollar-for-dollar match received by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries under the Hawaii Healthy Food Incentive Program, also known as the Double Up Food Bucks Program. Specifies that healthy proteins are eligible purchases under the program.

Check out this great article about DA BUX in Civil Beat which highlights the following benefits of the program.

“Even before the pandemic upended so much in the islands, DA BUX was succeeding. Now more than ever, it is changing lives for the better in four very tangible and important ways:

  • It’s putting more food on the tables of local families in need.

  • It’s providing incentives that encourage people to buy locally grown and produced food.

  • It’s strengthening the local economy by keeping more dollars in the Islands.

  • It’s improving local health by providing incentives to eat fresher, unprocessed foods.

DA BUX is a program that works — and that should be expanded.”

How to Testify:

You will need to create an account on the Capitol website.

See the link to register in the upper right corner of the homepage.

  • Remember to include your name, where you live and personalize the testimony about.

  • Why this issue matters to you.

  • You can also testify virtually by selecting this option while submitting your testimony at the State Capitol Portal. To get the virtual link and participate in the hearing on Monday you will need to select the option that says “Remotely via Zoom during the hearing & written testimony when asked “How will you be testifying?”

Thank you for taking action!