Councilmember Kia‘āina applauds passage of City program to support local agriculture and expresses appreciation for Administration support

HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I – An initiative to establish a City program to support local farmers and  encourage the City Administration to buy and utilize locally grown food gained final approval  from the Honolulu City Council Wednesday with Administration support from the Office of  Economic Revitalization and Department of Community Services. 

“Supporting our local farmers is critical to bolstering Hawai`i’s agriculture industry, diversifying  our economy, and contributing to food security. We know that all of Hawai‘i is far too dependent  on food imports. We need to change that by helping our local farmers and economy,” said  councilmember Esther Kia‘āina, who represents Windward O‘ahu. 

The goals of the Honolulu Agriculture Grant Program established via Resolution 21-079, include  the promotion of new crops, facilitation of innovations in farming methods and acquisition of  farm equipment to increase efficiency. The initiative has broad-based support from the  Administration, Hawai‘i Investment Ready; Kapili Like Inc.; the Hawai‘i Department of  Agriculture; Agribusiness Development Corp.; East O’ahu County Farm Bureau; the  Kamehameha Schools; Ko‘olau ‘Ama Aloha; Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation; Hawai‘i  Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association; Farm Link Hawai‘i; GoFarm Hawai‘i; Ko‘olau  Foundation; Ulupono Initiative; Pacific Gateway Center; Plant Plant LLC; Smart Yields and  more than a dozen individuals. 

Honolulu City Councilmember Esther Kia‘āina represents District 3 which includes ʻĀhuimanu,  Heʻeia, Haʻikū, Kāneʻohe, Maunawili, Kailua, Olomana, Enchanted Lake, and Waimānalo.