Bill > HCR24

This concurrent resolution requests the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to conduct a comprehensive study on Hawaii's food manufacturing capabilities and identify promising markets for high-value, premium products. The study will assess Hawaii's competitive advantages, define what constitutes a "high-value product" using clear economic metrics, and pinpoint specific export markets that align with these products. It will also analyze the true cost of production in Hawaii, considering high operational expenses like energy and labor, to determine the necessary profit margins for local food manufacturing to be economically viable. Furthermore, the resolution calls for an examination of logistical and transportation challenges to strategic markets and the proposal of state-level solutions. The findings will be used by the University of Hawaii to update curricula at its food innovation centers, ensuring entrepreneurs are trained to develop products specifically for export. DBEDT will collaborate with other state agencies and the University of Hawaii to integrate these findings into workforce development and business incubation programs, and the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) will use the study's insights to guide the development of its scaling facilities. The resolution also mandates that DBEDT propose policy recommendations to the Legislature by early 2027 on how to reallocate and prioritize state resources to support businesses producing these identified high-value products.