More local food starts with housing

by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D., President / CEO, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

When it comes to supporting agricultural production in Hawaii, there seems to be a big difference between rhetoric and reality.

State and county officials frequently identify farming as the key to diversifying our economy and making our islands self-sufficient in food production. But what policies have they implemented that would make it easier for farmers and ranchers to thrive?

The reality is that many Hawaii farmers and ranchers struggle to operate without running into a frustrating, time-consuming and costly web of regulations and permit requirements.

For instance, state and county rules make it extremely difficult for farmers and ranchers to provide housing for the workers they need to plant, grow and harvest their crops or tend to their livestock. 

And without places for potential agricultural workers to live near where they work, it is nearly impossible to achieve the vaunted goal of increased agricultural production in Hawaii.

So how can we claim to support farmers when we haven’t dealt with the many regulations that make it difficult for them to prosper?

Well, several measures have been introduced during this year’s state legislative session that could actually make a difference. 

First, there is HB1737 and its Senate companion bill, SB2006, which would allow farmers and ranchers to build accessory dwelling units to use for worker housing. 

There is also SB2740, which lawmakers have not yet scheduled for a hearing. This bill would allow farmers to build multiple homes for employees in small areas on their land, known as cluster housing.

More farmworker housing would not only boost employment and agricultural production — it would help alleviate the state’s housing crisis in general, since agricultural workers would no longer be competing for homes closer to the urban core.

But it's not enough to simply allow farmers and ranchers to build worker housing. The many barriers that complicate building on its own need to be reformed as well.

That brings to mind another bill, SB2743, which also has not yet been scheduled for a hearing. This bill would expand state permitting exemptions for agricultural structures such as barns, sheds and greenhouses. And doing so would help reduce Hawaii’s notorious permitting backlogs for other projects too.

Taken together, these proposals could make a real difference for Hawaii’s farmers and ranchers, and for Hawaii residents and consumers as a whole. So I hope our lawmakers will take a close look at them.

E hana kākou! (Lets work together!)