Bill > HCR94

This concurrent resolution urges the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to collaborate on a plan to connect local farmers with institutions, specifically aligning with the rollout of the AINA Kitchen Network, a statewide initiative to build local food infrastructure and prepare locally sourced meals for students. The resolution highlights that the Department of Education is currently falling far short of its goal to source thirty percent of school meal ingredients from local producers by 2030, facing systemic issues in tracking and procurement, and leaving significant federal funds unspent. The AINA Kitchen Network, with its first facility opening soon, is intended to support local farmers through aggregation, processing, storage, and distribution, but the plan acknowledges that local farmers face barriers to scaling production and that the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity lacks the resources to adequately assist them. Therefore, the proposed Farmer-to-Institution Coordination Plan must identify specific food needs of the AINA Kitchen Network, assess current local production capacity, outline strategies for farmer capacity-building, establish procurement contracts that offer long-term certainty for farmers, and include a timeline aligned with the network's rollout. Additionally, the plan should propose a centralized digital system for tracking local food procurement statewide and ensure full utilization of federal funds for local produce. The departments are also requested to submit this plan, along with financial data and recommendations, to the Legislature by early 2027.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Education

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HCR&billnumber=94&year=2026