Hawaii Senate Bill SR174

Hawaii 2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/10/23
• Refer: 3/15/23

Caption

Requesting The Department Of Education To Develop A Strategic Plan To Meet The Locally Sourced Food Goals Established In Acts 175 And 176, Session Laws Of Hawaii 2021.

Impact

The resolution underscores the DOE's role in serving an estimated 120,000 meals daily while highlighting past underperformance in meeting these sourcing goals. A significant concern raised is that various procurement processes and the budget allotted (approximately $50 million to $60 million for purchasing food) have not effectively translated into increased procurement of local goods, which only accounted for about 6.2% of food budgets in the previous year. Thus, the emphasis on local sourcing attempts to improve both nutrition and support the local agricultural economy.

Summary

Senate Resolution 174 (SR174) requests the Department of Education (DOE) in Hawaii to develop a strategic plan targeting the goals for locally sourced food as established by Acts 175 and 176 from the session laws of 2021. The DOE is tasked with ensuring that a set percentage of food served in schools comes from local sources. The current aim is to achieve thirty percent local food sourcing by 2030, with a further requirement to ensure a fifty percent local procurement of produce by 2050 for all state departments purchasing food.

Contention

One notable point of contention raised by the resolution involves the centralized kitchen model proposed for achieving local food goals. Critics argue that this model may disadvantage local farmers, as it generally requires larger quantities of food than can be supplied by many local producers. Additionally, the vacant position of Farm to School Coordinator, vital for liaising with farmers and ensuring increased local food procurement, has raised concerns about the state’s commitment to these local goals.

Produced_issues

The resolution calls for an examination of existing procurement systems and a strategic approach to scaling up local food procurement while discussing potential ingredient shortages. Moreover, it emphasizes community involvement and the operational challenges faced by schools when transitioning to a model that prioritizes locally sourced food, which could promote long-term educational dietary improvements for students.