Opportunities for Growth: Aligning Government Support with Hawaiʻi Producer Realities

Abstract

Current pathways for accessing agricultural technical and financial assistance (TA and FA) administered by government agencies contain several obstacles and systemic barriers which significantly impact Hawaiʻi producers, particularly those using Indigenous stewardship methods (ISMs). Analysis of these obstacles can provide a more accurate understanding of how and why they manifest, and reveal more precise, tangible recommendations for state and federal agencies, NGOs, producers, and other interested parties. This project's objectives were to: 1) Review relevant literature and government publications; 2) Conduct an assessment of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Practice Standards (CPS); 3) Seek feedback from interested parties in academia and government agencies; and 4) Identify proposed solutions and areas for additional analysis. Ultimately, the project goal was to contribute towards removing barriers for Hawaiʻi producers to access TA and FA. Our findings indicate there are a broad variety of underlying challenges including inaccessibility of information, lack of Hawaiʻi representation in federal agency processes, and exclusionary CPS implementation criteria. Producers and agricultural practices specific to Hawaiʻi landscapes, and Kanaka Maoli ISMs are disproportionately impacted by these obstacles. We identified several recommendations for continued work in our white paper, "Opportunities for Growth," which provides a comprehensive starting point for anyone aiming to take on the work of better aligning USDA agencies, Hawaiʻi producers, and Indigenous stewardship.