When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Hawaii, many of us rushed to the store to stock up. Maybe folks recognized that we import roughly 85% of our food. Or that should imports be disrupted, Hawaii would be left with less than a weeks’ food supply. It may have been just planning for stay-at-home orders. Either way, I have concerns about our local food security and you should, too.

But there is something we can do to increase local food production and support local farmers, ranchers, fishpond stewards, and forward-thinking landowners. It’s a tool called an agriculture conservation easement: a legal agreement between a private landowner and a land trust or government agency that puts permanent restrictions on the land in order to protect its agricultural resources.

Other states have brought in millions of dollars in federal agriculture conservation easement funding to secure their local agriculture lands, but Hawaii has not been able to regularly tap this federal funding resource until now. Last year, federal agricultural conservation easement funds protected over 360,000 acres nationwide. None of those acres included Hawaii lands, and the nonprofit Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT) aims to change that.

Under a new agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), HILT is helping Hawaii to start utilizing these funds to directly pay farmers, ranchers and fishpond stewards for permanently committing their land to food production.

Selling conservation easements gives farmers funds to invest in their operations, and makes farming more affordable for the next generation by bringing down the land value to a true agricultural price.

With county, state and private funds and generous donations from landowners, some Hawaii lands have already been protected with agricultural conservation easements such as MA‘O Farms’ Palikea parcel, and large sections of ‘Ulupalakua Ranch, Pu‘u o Hoku Ranch, and Hono‘uli‘uli. This new federal funding stream will accelerate local efforts.

In the years to come, HILT expects federal agricultural conservation easement funds to bring much-needed relief in two ways — by giving farmers, ranchers and fishpond stewards significant funds in exchange for their development rights, and peace of mind in knowing their lands will always feed Hawaii.

During this pandemic, I encourage you to think about caring for the land so that it cares for us. A great way to do this is to support the land stewards who feed us, keep people and the environment healthy, and support Hawaii’s food- producing future. We still have all the building blocks needed to become food secure as Hawaii was not too long ago.

Laura H.E. Kaakua is the CEO of Hawaiian Islands Land Trust.