Mayor Billy Kenoi and the County of Hawai’i Department of Research and Development today announced the release of the Hawai’i County Food Self-Sufficiency Baseline, a study of where we are to inform future conversations about growing our own food.
The Hawaiʻi County Food Self-Sufficiency Baseline 2012 was prepared to establish a baseline for measuring future progress in the area of County food self sufficiency. The project collected a range of existing information to help inform Hawaiʻi County residents and policy makers about the current status for local food production on the island. It also mapped the current status of agricultural production islandwide utilizing the resources of the Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Lab at UHH. It is the first report of its kind in the State of Hawaiʻi and offers some useful insight into the nature of local food production, where it takes place, what factors propel or constrain it and what actions can be taken to promote it.
Summary of Food Consumption Patterns
Hawaiʻi County Food Self Sufficiency Scorecard
The above scorecard graphic summarizes the current state of local food production by major food groupings:
- Roughly 95% of all fresh milk sold on Hawaiʻi Island comes from the two local dairies. All raw Hawaiʻi Island milk is sold to Meadow Gold and is packaged at their Railroad Ave. plant for multiple brands including Mountain Apple, Lucerne, Best Yet and others. No organic milk is produced on the island and only a small portion of other dairy products, primarily half and half comes from local sources. A portion of locally produced fresh milk is shipped to other islands for retail sales and bulk processing in Honolulu.
- 17% of the fresh beef sold commercially on the island comes from local ranchers. Hawaiʻi Island ranchers produce roughly twice the number of cattle needed to feed the island’s population but most are shipped to the mainland for fattening and market. Additionally some of Hawaiʻi Island’s beef is shipped to Oahu as hamburger and specialty cuts of grass fed beef.
- Less than 5% of the pork and none of the chick or eggs consumed on the island come from local commercial sources. Informal sources of local eggs are available in neighborhoods and at Farmers Markets. Wild pigs and other game animals account for an estimated 400,000 pounds of meat annually in the informal food supply.
- Macadamia nuts represent roughly 5% of the total nut protein consumed on island. The Island produce more than 6 times the total average annual demand for this protein source but macadamia is just a small portion of our local nut consumption.
- 51% of the fish purchased commercially in the State of Hawaiʻi comes from Hawaiian waters. This number comes from a 2012 CTAHR study that counted commercial and recreation catch numbers statewide. Under reporting and non reported recreational fishing may increase this number on Hawaiʻi Island. Some fish is exported to HNL and other markets as well.
- Base on 2008 numbers, when the State stopped collecting most agricultural statistics, 34% of the State’s vegetables and 32% of its fruits consumption is produced locally. Hawaiʻi Island also exports much of its fruit production and significant amounts of its vegetable and sweet potato production within the state and internationally. There are significant amounts of both vegetables and fruits that are sold at Farmers Markets and other outlets that are no accounted for in these numbers.
- Locally produced vegetable starches like taro, sweet potato, cassava and other crops amount to less than 10% of total starch consumption. Nearly 12 million pounds of sweet potato are exported to the West Coast annually
- None of Hawaiʻi’s grain consumption is produced locally.
- There is also a significant amount of consumption that comes from informal sources that cannot be tracked. Farmers Markets, neighborhood sharing, back yard farming and ranching, recreational fishing and hunting all contribute an immeasurable amount of food to local families and are reflected in the scorecard as additional production that exceeds available statistics.
Crop Land Summary
The Baseline study provides detailed maps of the existing agricultural activity in each region on Hawaiʻi Island.
- In aggregate, there are approximately 42,700 acres in crop production (excluding commercial forestry), half of which is in macadamia nuts, the bulk of which is exported. Only about 10,400 acres (24%) are in vegetable and fruit production and a significant portion of this production (papaya, tropical fruit, sweet potato and vegetables etc.) is grown for export elsewhere.
- Pasture takes up roughly 600,000 acres on the island with productivity that varies by rainfall, location, management techniques etc. Building a grass fed beef industry to support local beef and other meat producers will require improvements to local slaughter facilities, committed local ranchers and strong support from consumers to select local grass fed beef at a price that can sustain its production.
- Crop production varies from region to region and each district has its own set of unique forces and resources that help to define the kinds of agricultural production that takes place in each area. The report provides a summary of regional production and discusses the context in which that production takes place and the contribution each area can make in terms of future food self sufficiency.
County Real Property Taxes
The report provides several maps and supporting data to summarize the state of current agriculture based on the real property tax records for Agricultural Use and Dedication Programs. These programs effect over 600,000 acres island-wide and result in $34 million dollars in tax saving to landowners. Real Property Tax benefits for agricultural use is the single largest tool the county has to encourage local food production and the current system could be more clearly focused to accomplish that goal.
Irrigation Systems
The current state of the five dedicated agricultural water systems on the island is summarized in the report along with a map of properties that draw agricultural water from the domestic system operated by the County Department of Water Supply. DWS is currently the largest daily provider of irrigation water islandwide serving a disperse group of farm activities. The largest single user of irrigation water on the island is the Natural Energy Laboratory at Keahole Point who provides fresh water to multiple aquacultural businesses.
Ocean Resources, Subsistence Hunting and Honey Bees
The report summarizes useful data related to ocean resource management and emphasizes the need for local actions to insure cooperative management for sustained use of the ocean commons that surround the island. It also summarizes available hunting data and tries to define the volume of meat taken from the forest and mauka lands to support the food needs of local families. The role of commercial honey bees is discussed and their importance in the food system is also discussed.
Accessing the Baseline Study
A link to the Baseline study is available for public review at hawaiicounty.gov/research-and-development. The link will provide a viewable copy of the report and a full digital version for printing purposes. Individual maps and Figures from the report are available on the site as well.
Also on the website is an interactive ArcGIS Explorer Online version of the agricultural mapping database. This data is accessible to anyone with a computer and internet access. It will provide an interactive map of Hawaiʻi Island that will display the location of active crop lands in 2012.
The Hawaiʻi County Food Self-Sufficiency Baseline 2012 was prepared for the Hawaiʻi County Department of Research and Development by the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Geography and Environmental Studies Department and Island Planning. The principal authors were Jeffrey Melrose and Dr. Donna Delparte.
Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Big Island, Community, Economy, Environment, Food & Drink, Hawaii, Hawaiian, Health, Kenoi, Something New?, UH Hilo | Tagged: Farmers Markets, Hawaii County Food Self-Sufficiency Baseline, Local food, State of Hawaiʻi | 3 Comments »
Congressional Candidate Bob Marx on Social Security and America’s Retiring Population
Bob Marx believes Social Security is an essential program that America’s retiring population counts on for economic stability.
Congressional Candidate Bob Marx
Forty percent of Americans aged 65 or older depend on Social Security to keep them from slipping below the poverty line. Despite the essential nature of the program, funds for retirees are running out.
Many view Social Security as a fund or retirement account that is tied to the individual contributor. This is not how the program actually functions. Rather, employee taxes are used to pay benefits directly to current retirees, and current payees depend on the next generation of employees to pay for their retirement benefits. The problem with Social Security’s sustainability stems from the current economic climate—higher unemployment, lower wage growth, and a 3.6% cost of living increase translate to full Social Security benefits running out in 2033—a mere 21 years from now.
Bob Marx, neighbor island candidate for Hawai‘i’s Second Congressional District, remarked on the need for Social Security reform Tuesday, commenting that “now more than ever we need to ensure our kupuna are taken care of.” Social Security is in dire need for reform—the program took in $691 billion in tax revenue in 2011, $45 billion short of the Social Security’s $736 billon in expenses. To continue paying 100% of benefits past 2033, the combined employer-employee tax rate would have to be raised 4.3% from 12.4% to 16.7%.
The problems with Social Security extend further than its potential inability to pay future benefits. The employer-employee combined tax rate burdens the employee rather than the employer. Faced with a higher tax rate, employers stay competitive by reducing employee wages to offset the higher taxes. Marx noted, “The problem [with any reform] will be preventing employers from pushing the costs onto workers… [which will] further depress our economy.”
Bob Marx has been adamant about the need to ensure our elderly are taken care of. At an event in downtown Hilo, Marx spoke with residents about the need for social security reform. “Our elderly have more expenses than ever and poverty is a real possibility.” When asked about what he would do if elected, Marx replied: “I will ensure the stability of our retirees and ensure all of our social welfare programs are solvent well into the future.” Marx proposed raising funds to pay for Social Security by increasing taxes on non-earned income. “Taxes on capital gains and dividend earnings are lower than they were 10 years ago—and look at the resulting situation our economy is in.”
As the Federal Government’s largest expenditure, Social Security is a program that is an essential public service. In this economic climate, much focus is on cutting costs and inevitably, cutting corners. “Services such as Social Security are the product of our government’s responsibility to retirees,” stated Marx. “We should prioritize those most in need, ensuring that they can retire above the poverty line.”
Related articles
Like:
Filed under: Announcements, Economy, Guest Commentator, Hawaii, Health, National Affairs, Politics, State Affairs, Sustainable Living | Tagged: America's Retiring Population, Bob Marx, Social Security, Social Security Administration, Social Security debate (United States) | Leave a Comment »