Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Senators move bill that could increase locally grown food supply
Associated Press
POSTED: 07:30 p.m. HST, Apr 04, 2012
LAST UPDATED: 04:26 a.m. HST, Apr 05, 2012
A proposal headed to the state Senate could help Hawaii double its locally grown food supply by 2020.
The state currently imports about 92 percent of its produce, livestock and dairy products. Some lawmakers would like to see the state become more self-sufficient.
Doing so would make food costs less susceptible to fluctuations in fuel costs, increase agricultural diversity across the state and provide a boost to the local economy, say proponents of House Bill 2703, which was advanced by the Senate Ways and Means Committee Wednesday.
HB 2703 requires 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.
The bill will likely be voted on by the full Senate next week.
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