REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND BIOSECURITY TO COLLABORATE WITH STATE AND COUNTY AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.

SCR41

THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

41

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting certain state AND COUNTY agencies, IN
COORDINATION WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, to develop a comprehensive statewide
food security strategy
.

����
WHEREAS,
according to the
State of Food Insecurity in Hawai
ʻ
i 2024�2025
report
compiled by Hawaii Foodbank and its affiliate foodbanks statewide,
approximately thirty-two percent of the State's households experienced food
insecurity, meaning they lacked consistent access to sufficient, nutritious,
and affordable food, and more than one in five households reported "very
low food security", with members skipping meals or going entire days
without eating due to lack of resources
; and

����
WHEREAS, according
to the report,
among households with children, thirty-four
percent experienced food insecurity,

an increase from prior reporting, indicating
that more than one in three families struggle to reliably feed their keiki and
demonstrating a worsening trend among families with children; and

����
WHEREAS, y
oung adults (ages 18�29) and households relying on
federal nutrition assistance were also reported to have faced particularly high
rates of food insecurity
; and

����
WHEREAS,
food insecurity disproportionately impacts Native
Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Filipino, and other historically marginalized
communities in the State, who face higher rates of poverty, limited access to
healthy and culturally relevant foods, and systemic barriers in both urban and
rural areas
; and

����
WHEREAS,
these populations often experience compounded challenges
from geographic isolation, intergenerational inequities, and are more impacted
by processed foods, climate change, and economic disruptions, underscoring the
need for targeted strategies that honor cultural practices, support
community-led food systems, and promote equitable access to nutritious and
locally grown foods
; and

����
WHEREAS,
food insecurity imposes serious consequences on health,
dignity, community resilience, and long-term economic stability, including
increased risk of diet-related illness, developmental and educational
impairments for keiki, mental‑health stresses, and higher public-health
costs, making food security a matter of public welfare, equity, and justice
;
now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that appropriate
state agencies, including but not limited to the Hawaii Interagency Food
Systems Working Group; County Agencies; Department of Agriculture and
Biosecurity; Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism;
Agribusiness Development Corporation; Department of Human Services; Department
of Health; Department of Transportation; Hawaii Emergency Management Agency;
and Office of Hawaiian Affairs, in coordination with community-based
organizations, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander leaders, food access
organizations, food security coalitions, and other relevant stakeholders, are
requested to develop a comprehensive statewide food security strategy; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the statewide food security strategy is requested to be
data-driven, equity-focused, and at a minimum:

����
(1)
�
Assess barriers to food access across the
State's diverse communities, including economic, geographic, cultural, and
programmatic barriers, and anticipate future food-security needs;

����
(2)
�
Analyze economic, climatic, and demographic
trends affecting food availability, affordability, and access, including the
impacts of climate change, natural disasters, and supply-chain disruptions;

����
(3)
�
Identify win-win strategies that both decrease
food insecurity and boost local agricultural production;

����
(4)
�
Recommend policy, programmatic, and funding
strategies to reduce food costs and expand access to sufficient, nutritious,
and culturally appropriate food, including traditional Native Hawaiian and
locally grown foods;

����
(5)
�
Include mechanisms for community participation
in food-system coordination, planning and decision-making, with particular
attention to Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Filipino, and other
historically underserved communities; and

����
(6)
�
Coordinate with existing county food-security
and food-system resilience efforts, ensuring alignment with adopted county food
plans and related planning documents to support statewide coherence and
effective implementation; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that participating state and county agencies are requested to submit a
report on the comprehensive statewide food security strategy, any findings and
recommendations, and proposed implementation steps, including any proposed
legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the
convening of the Regular Session of
2027
,
to inform future legislation, appropriations, and policy actions related to
food security and the right to food throughout the State; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the
Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Director of Business,
Economic Development, and Tourism; Director of Human Services; Director of
Health; Director of Transportation; Administrator of the Hawaii Emergency
Management Agency; Chairperson of the Board of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Executive
Director of the Agribusiness Development Corporation; and Mayor of each county.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

Food
Production; Food Insecurity; Comprehensive Statewide Food Security Strategy