HONOLULU (AP) – A proposal headed to the full Senate could help the state double its locally grown food supply by 2020.
Hawaii currently imports about 92 percent of its food.
Proponents of a food security bill before the Legislature say this makes the state dangerously dependent on imported produce, livestock and dairy products. Each food item imported also represents a lost opportunity for local economic growth, they add.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday approved House Bill 2703, which aims at increasing Hawaii‘s food self-sufficiency.
The bill would require the Department of Agriculture to measure and analyze the food grown and sold in Hawaii annually. The department would then work with the Department of Business,
Economic Development and Tourism to identify key food commodities and help increase their market shares.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
