"A strong agriculture policy for Hawaii must benefit both consumers and agricultural producers, protect our natural resources, continue our investment in alternative energy, and better meet the needs of our children by ensuring they get nutritional meals at school. I will continue to work for national policies that balance these interests and recognize and address the unique challenges for and characteristics of Hawaii's families, farms, ranches, and products."
Priorities
Senator Akaka has long supported agricultural policies and programs to expand opportunities for farmers and rural communities in order to preserve and strengthen Hawaii's agriculture, floriculture, aquaculture, and livestock industries. He also closely monitors rules and regulations that could adversely affect Hawaii's agricultural products. Agriculture is a critical component of Hawaii's economy, with 7,500 farms supporting a quarter million jobs and producing nearly $165 billion in income.
Senator Akaka will continue to be a leader in the national effort to ensure food safety. He believes that an understanding of how unsafe products can enter the food supply should be followed by implementation of measures to prevent these hazards. He is deeply committed to the principle that food safety rules and regulations should not adversely impact family farms, small businesses, supplemental producers, and organic farmers. Senator Akaka supports efforts of organic and family farmers to build a sustainable industry by improving production and processing of local produce and filling the demand for organic products.
Recent Accomplishments and Activities
Ensuring the safety of our food. In addition to his longstanding mission to improve the security of our food and agriculture supply, Senator Akaka was a strong supporter of the landmark FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which was signed into law in December 2010. The Food Safety Bill will improve the Food and Drug Administration's food safety and defense system. Specifically, it will implement new preventative safety controls and improve coordination between federal, state, local, and public health agencies, and ensure that FDA has sufficient resources for its food safety activities.
Senator Akaka was particularly pleased that the new law includes exemptions from regulations for small farms and facilities. These exemptions protect family farms, which often sell their produce at farmers markets and road side stands. The measure does not outlaw traditional organic growing methods, criminalize seed savings, submit dietary supplements to international standards, such as Codex Alimenatrius, establish restrictions on the sale of raw milk, or require any new recordkeeping requirements for farms.
Maintaining standards for Hawaii's signature products. Senator Akaka has worked to promote and protect Hawaii's products, such as macadamia nuts. A provision included in the 2008 Farm Bill added macadamia nuts to the mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling Program. Now, lesser quality macadamia nuts produced elsewhere cannot be legally labeled as Hawaii-grown.
Facilitating agriculture management grants for Aloha State farmers. The 2008 Farm Bill also included provisions to add Hawaii to the list of states eligible for grants under the Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMAP). AMAP provides cost-sharing assistance to help producers construct or improve water management and irrigation structures, plant trees, control soil erosion, practice integrated pest management, promote organic farming, and develop value-added processing.
Addressing unique island challenges. Senator Akaka is acutely aware of the special challenges Hawaii producers face simply because of their geographic location. He was pleased that the 2008 Farm Bill included a multi-million dollar reimbursement program for farmers and ranchers in Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. Territories because they experience special production and transportation disadvantages.
Senator Akaka also secured resources to ensure that Hawaii's farm industry is protected against drought and flood by securing funding for watershed and flood prevention projects. In addition, he is concerned about the impact of terrestrial and aquatic invasive species, such as the papaya ringspots virus, pineapple nematode, fruit flies, termites, varroa mites, brown tree snakes, and certain types of algae, on Hawaii's agriculture and aquaculture industries. He has consistently secured funding to address the challenges posed by invasive and aquatic species.
Encouraging new methods and industries. The 2008 Farm Bill established a Western Insular Pacific Subcenter at the University of Hawaii for Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau to explore how to enhance agricultural production through biobased energy and product technologies.
Addressing the devasting impacts of volcanic smog. Senator Akaka recognizes the impact of vog on Hawaii's agriculture, floriculture, and livestock industries, especially in the County of Hawaii and, in particular, in the district of Kau. He is particularly concerned about the impact of vog on the floricultural industry, which is a multi-million dollar a year business. To this end, Senator Akaka has worked to include federal assistance for farm producers impacted by vog, drought, and other natural disasters.
During consideration of the 2008 Farm Bill, Senator Akaka supported a waiver that allows producers to qualify for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) by paying a "buy-in" fee. He was instrumental in having the enrollment in NAP extended to mid-May 2009 under a provision included in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Enrollment in NAP qualifies participants for five new disaster programs, collectively referred to as the Supplemental Agriculture Disaster Assistance (SADA) programs, that were established by the 2008 Farm Bill. The Supplemental Assistance Payment program, which is part of SADA, has benefited floriculturists and other farm producers impacted by the vog. In addition, ARRA includes a provision authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to provide crop disaster assistance to certain agricultural sectors, such as Hawaii sugar growers, which are not able to get crop insurance due to our unique growing cycles. Farmers hurt by prolonged vog are also eligible for disaster assistance.
For more information
Hawaii Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheet