New Federal Funding Can Help Local Agriculture, Farmers, and Land Owners

This article was originally published in the Sunday, October 10, 2020 Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Hawaiʻi, 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, Hawaiʻi 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. Itʻs 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 Hawaiʻi 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 Hawaiʻi lands, and the nonprofit Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT) aims to change that. Under a new agreement with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), HILT is helping Hawaiʻi 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 Hawaiʻi lands have already been protected with agricultural conservation easements such as MAʻO Farms’ Palikea parcel, and large sections of ʻUlupalakua Ranch, Puʻu o Hoku Ranch, and Honoʻuliʻuli. 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 Hawaiʻi.

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 Hawaiʻi’s food-producing future. We still have all the building blocks needed to become food secure as Hawaiʻi was not too long ago.

Laura H.E. Kaakua is the CEO of Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, a Hawaiʻi 501(c)3 nonprofit that protects and stewards the lands that sustain Hawaiʻi. Over the past decade, the nationally accredited land trust has protected over 21,500 acres throughout the islands through land purchases and conservation easements, conserving Hawaiʻi’s coastlines, cultural landscapes, and lands that grow food. To explore the ways you can help support Hawaiʻi’s conservation and food-producing future, visit HILT.org.