Hawai'i Food & Agriculture Policy Update: May 2016
May 25th, 2016
By mobilizing the voices of our grassroots membership and organizational allies, during the 2016 state legislative session Hawai'i CFS and the food movement were able to:
- Establish First State-Funded Tax Credit in the U.S. to Support Organic Farming
- Secure Funding for Pesticide Regulation & Farm-to-School Efforts
- Defeat Right to Spray Legislation & Protect County Home Rule
We also continued our campaign to pass legislation that would strengthen the state's regulation and oversight of pesticides. In collaboration with national CFS legal and science staff, HCFS drafted and championed several bills this session, including those that would:
- Establish no-spray buffer zones for pesticide around schools and sensitive areas
- Implement a pilot program to create "green screens" around five schools to act as buffer zones to protect schools from pesticide drift
- Expand mandatory pesticide disclosure and reporting programs
- Protect pollinators from the harmful impacts of toxic neonicotinoid insecticides
In an effort to support our partners engaged in advocacy at the state legislature and promote public engagement in the policymaking process, HCFS:
- Submitted organizational testimony on over 20 bills supported by organizations such as HawaiÊ"i Farmers Union United, Sierra Club of Hawai'i, and Surfrider Foundation.
- Served as a policy watchdog by tracking over 150 food, agriculture, and sustainability bills throughout legislative session, and shared weekly updates with our members
- Connected citizens with advocacy trainings, model testimony, talking points, and opportunities to engage in civic action
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