Statewide agricultural climate disaster preparedness and response program

Establish a statewide agricultural climate disaster preparedness, emergency response, and land restoration program to help Hawai‘i's small farmers prepare for, withstand, and recover from climate-related disasters. Small farmers face increasing threats from extreme rainfall, flooding, drought, wildfires, and severe weather; these disasters damage agricultural lands, destroy crops and infrastructure, increase erosion, and threaten the stability of Hawai‘i's local food system.

The initiative would support flood protection, drainage improvements, water conservation, wildfire mitigation, erosion control, and disaster preparedness planning.

A key component would be the establishment of a dedicated Agricultural Disaster Resilience and Emergency Response Fund to provide timely assistance to farmers following qualifying disasters. The fund would prioritize small farmers, including those who do not qualify for traditional federal disaster assistance or whose needs are not adequately addressed by existing programs.

Assistance would focus on emergency damage assessments, measures to prevent further environmental degradation, debris removal necessary for land restoration, repair of damaged agricultural drainage and water infrastructure, soil stabilization, and rehabilitation of affected agricultural lands.

The program would seek to establish an ongoing funding mechanism that supports both disaster preparedness and rapid environmental recovery, subject to appropriate state authorization and funding.

Working with agricultural agencies, landowners, and conservation specialists, the program would prioritize farms experiencing significant climate-related risks and those impacted by natural disasters.

Success would be measured by farms assisted, acres protected or restored, preparedness improvements completed, response times, and reductions in identified environmental risks.

Potential Partners: Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, North Shore EVP, Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, University of Hawai‘i Cooperative Extension, and agricultural landowners.