THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	27
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the hawai   i state DEPARTMENT of education SCHOOL food services branch to adopt an addendum TO ITS AGREEMENTS FOR THE    AINA PONO HAWAI   I STATE FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAM requiring the procurement of goods and/or services from food hubs.

 

 

        WHEREAS, Act 55, Session Laws of Hawaii 2013, amended the objectives and policies of the Hawai   i State Planning Act to encourage the purchase and use of Hawai   i-grown food and food products by residents, businesses, and governmental bodies; and

 

        WHEREAS, the Hawai   i Department of Education serves over one hundred thousand nutritionally balanced, affordable meals a day to over eighty-five percent of the youth in Hawai   i.  The Department's School Food Services Branch supports public schools statewide to ensure that their meal programs comply with federal and state child nutrition standards; and

 

        WHEREAS, farm-to-school activities can improve students' physical activity, academic performance, school meal participation, preference for fresh fruits and vegetables, and other healthy behaviors, thereby reducing the risk of chronic diseases and other health conditions later in life.  Farm-to school programs also can increase educational opportunities and support a nutritious school environment; and

 

        WHEREAS, Act 218, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, spearheaded by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, established a farm-to-school program within the Department of Agriculture to address the issues of supply, demand, procurement, and consumption of Hawai   i-grown foods in state facilities, primarily education facilities, and take reasonable steps to incorporate more agriculture and nutrition education in schools; and

 

        WHEREAS, the Department of Education and Office of the Lieutenant Governor rebranded the farm-to-school program into the    Aina Pono Hawai   i State Farm to School Program in 2018 to unite the Department of Education School Food Services Branch's existing health and nutrition education programs, such as    Aina Pono Harvest of the Month, test kitchens, meal programs, menu planning, and school gardens; and

 

        WHEREAS, this farm-to-school initiative, through    Aina Pono, develops affordable and healthy menus using fresh, local foods for the students attending the Kohala School Complex on the Big Island and, since 2018, Mililani High, Mililani Uka Elementary, and Mililani Waena Elementary schools on O   ahu; and

 

        WHEREAS, farmers in Hawai   i face many challenges on their way to achieving economic sustainability; and

 

        WHEREAS, food hubs provide these small to mid-sized farmers and producers, who are often unable to afford or manage trucks, warehouses, processing space, and storage spaces, with facilities for aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and marketing support; and

 

        WHEREAS, supporting local farmers is essential to the economic development and self-reliance of the State; and

 

        WHEREAS, by helping local farmers become or remain economically sustainable, food hubs increase local farmers' ability to participate in larger agricultural markets, while increasing consumers' access to fresh, locally grown food and value-added products; and

 

        WHEREAS, food hubs support Hawai   i's rural communities and present opportunities for new generations of local farmers to work and live in Hawai   i; and

 

        WHEREAS, increasing the procurement of local agricultural products for schools promotes local farmers, encourages the local agriculture industry, and supports government's goal of doubling local food production and improving food security for the entire State; now, therefore,

 

        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, that the Hawai   i State Department Of Education School Food Services Branch adopt an addendum to its agreement for the    Aina Pono Hawai   i State Farm to School Program requiring the procurement of goods and/or services from food hubs; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, Administrator for the State Procurement Office, Superintendent of the Department of Education, and Director of the School Food Services Branch.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:  

DOE Food Services Branch;    Aina Pono; Procurement; Food Hubs