Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole is probing the department for evidence of what he believes to be a ‘shadow policy’ of favoring industries the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity is in charge of regulating.
Hawaiʻi Grown
Civil Beat is delving deeply into what it would take for Hawaii to decrease its dependence on imported food and be better positioned to grow its own.
Posted inHawaiʻi Grown
The Success Of Hawaiʻi’s Food And Farm Bills Could Depend On One Thing
As Hawaiʻi continues to pinch pennies and fill holes created by federal cuts, lawmakers may have to choose between bills designed to bolster local food or fight invasive species.
Posted inData Dive
More Local Food? These State Agencies Aren’t Buying It
Few departments met the official 10% goal last year. While cost, quality and lack of consistent supply are concerns, the current pace doesn’t bode well for the larger push to wean the islands off imported food.
Posted inEnvironment
As Palm-Killing Beetles Spread On Big Island, State Action Is Slow
Hawaiʻi island residents have been tracking coconut rhinoceros beetles’ destruction throughout the islands. Fearing the same for their home, they’re urging the state to move faster.
Posted inHawaiʻi Grown
Oʻahu’s Sugar Canals Decay As State Acquisition Lags
It has been almost three years since the state agreed to take Lake Wilson and Wahiawā Dam off Dole’s hands, but it has yet to take possession of the hazardous system.
Posted inData Dive
Hawaiʻi Residents Are Keeping A Keen Eye On Invasive Species
The state pest reporting platform 643Pest received a few hundred reports annually until 2023, when the floodgates opened for coconut rhinoceros beetles.
Posted inOpinion
Will Bailey: A Quiet Redesign Helped Hawaiʻi Farms Get Past The Paperwork
The system wasn’t broken. It was built for someone else.
Posted inHawaiʻi Grown
Hawaiʻi Farmers Are Fighting To Keep Their Soil From Flushing Out To Sea
From kalo to cacao, farmers are adapting to effects of a changing climate by fusing traditional Hawaiian practices with new, regenerative agricultural techniques to save soils, streams and reefs.
Posted inHawaiʻi Grown
Hawaiʻi Wants To Bring Home The Bacon Again — Literally
Pork production in the islands has dropped significantly in the past 20 years. The state is now taking calls for help from piggeries more seriously.