Bill Text: HI SCR16 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 16 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Task Force; Sustainable Farming

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-08 - (S) Referred to AGL/EDU. [SCR16 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2011-SCR16-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	16
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the board of agriculture to establish a task force on sustainable agricultural practices and to create an institute to teach efficient and sustainable natural farming practices through hawaii's university system.

WHEREAS, the people of Hawaii and the Legislature are committed to taking bold action to address Hawaii's food requirements by investment in capital and human resources by government, the private sector, and the people of Hawaii to shift our present course of importing food toward a more agriculturally sustainable society; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii is an island state that is dangerously dependent on imports for basic food, and producing local food would reduce Hawaii's demand for fossil fuels, keep money in our community, and decrease the State's vulnerability to food-supply disruptions caused by natural disasters or worldwide economic events; and

WHEREAS, many acres of Hawaii's highly productive agricultural lands are not being farmed and Hawaii's agricultural sector is in dire need of revitalization to ensure that it is healthy and prosperous, in turn ensuring the food security and health of our economy and the people of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, sustainable agricultural practices encourage farmers to eliminate harmful waste products that negatively impact the quality of produce, livestock, and human health, rely less on imported pesticides and fertilizers that have long-term detrimental impacts on the quality of our soil, and rely more on locally grown microorganisms to maintain the quality of our soil; and

WHEREAS, one example of a sustainable agricultural practice is the ISO 9001/14001 Natural Farming certified Cho Global Natural Farming system, which has proven successful in tropical climates and in over twenty countries worldwide, and has improved crop and livestock yields and quality while decreasing production costs; and

WHEREAS, Cho Global Natural Farming has the potential to revitalize Hawaii's agricultural sector by improving crop and livestock yields and quality while decreasing production costs, and therefore is qualified to become a foundational agricultural methodology in Hawaii that will improve Hawaii's food security and agricultural sector in the interests of the people of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, an institution that teaches sustainable agricultural practices and incorporates proven sustainable agricultural methodologies is necessary to transmit sustainable agricultural practices to the people of Hawaii, including the youth of Hawaii, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii system, to ensure that farming knowledge is maintained in our communities for future generations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture is requested to establish a task force on sustainable agricultural practices that shall investigate the creation of an agricultural institution that will be a knowledge resource for information about natural farming practices, and will partner with the colleges in the University of Hawaii system to transmit to farmers sustainable agricultural practices:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force consist of the following members:

(1) Two members representing the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture;

(2) One member representing the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism;

(3) One member representing the Chairperson of the Board of Education;

(4) Two members representing the Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii; and

(5) One member appointed by the governor representing Ka Hana No�eau; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested, among other things, to:

(1) Perform an analysis of the costs and expenses of creating and maintaining an institute that teaches sustainable natural farming practices; and

(2) Create model curricula and clinics to teach sustainable farming practices; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall select a chairperson from among themselves, and the chairperson is requested to convene task force meetings; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit to the Legislature a report no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2012 Regular Session regarding its findings and recommendations, together with recommended proposed legislation, if any; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Chairperson of the Board of Education; and Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii.