Agriculture and Food System Development Plan

Agriculture and Food System Development Plan for Hawaiʻi County

Project Purpose and Vision

Recognizing the profound economic disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly within the agricultural and food sectors, Hawaiʻi County is collaborating with the Hāmākua Institute and the Hawaiʻi Island Agriculture Partnership (HIAP) to develop a comprehensive Five-Year Agriculture and Food System Development Plan. The goal of this strategic initiative is to chart a clear pathway toward sustainable agricultural growth, food system resilience, and improved community food security, systematically addressing vulnerabilities exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic.

Project Overview and Activities

This participatory planning effort will integrate extensive existing research, regional insights, and stakeholder feedback to inform a coordinated, strategic approach for revitalizing Hawaiʻi Island’s agriculture and food systems. Key project components include the systematic gathering and analysis of agricultural and food system data, community-driven identification of priority issues, and development of specific goals and actions for implementation and impact over the next five years.

Data Gathering and Preliminary Analysis

The initial phase of the project involves assembling a robust collection of existing plans, reports, research findings, and recent data related to agriculture and food security. This includes analyses of COVID-19's impacts on the sector, highlighting shifts in key agricultural indicators, economic conditions, market disruptions, and changes in consumer behavior and producer needs.

All data and insights will be centrally organized and analyzed to identify priority challenges, potential opportunities for growth, and necessary areas for intervention, ensuring that strategic decisions and recommendations are firmly rooted in accurate, timely, and relevant information.

Stakeholder Advisory and Community Engagement

Recognizing the importance of inclusive and localized input, a central element of the project is the formation of a representative Stakeholder Advisory Committee. This committee will guide plan development, ensuring it remains grounded in practical realities and community perspectives. Members will be carefully selected from across the island to represent diverse sectors, including producers, processors, distributors, educators, service providers, community leaders, and consumers.

Building upon previous engagement successes, the project team will hold a series of regional agriculture and food system summits across Hawaiʻi County's distinct districts. These summits will provide community members with direct opportunities to engage deeply with the draft strategic framework, articulate regional differences, identify local priorities, and suggest actionable solutions. Engagement sessions will be interactive, using facilitated discussions, community asset mapping exercises, and structured prioritization activities to foster meaningful dialogue and community-driven recommendations.

Strategic Framework and Action Planning

Following community input and summit dialogues, the project team, guided by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee, will refine a strategic framework clearly outlining the objectives, measurable outcomes, proposed activities, and a structured implementation timeline. The strategic framework will also address geographic and sector-specific variations, ensuring recommendations are contextually appropriate and practically feasible across Hawaiʻi Island's diverse communities.

An integral part of this planning process is developing clear monitoring and evaluation protocols. Performance indicators for each strategic objective will enable ongoing tracking of the plan's implementation progress, ensuring accountability, transparency, and continuous learning and improvement.

Final Comprehensive Plan

The culmination of the project will be a detailed Five-Year Agriculture and Food System Development Plan. This final document will integrate all insights, priorities, and recommendations from previous phases, offering a robust roadmap designed to drive transformative growth, resilience, and sustainability in Hawaiʻi Island’s agriculture sector.