Hirono Announces Over $3.5 Million in Grants to Promote Food Security in Hawaii
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is awarding over $3.5 million to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA). The grants, made possible through the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP), will provide support for small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations to increase the quantity and quality of locally-grown food in communities experiencing food insecurity. Through community outreach, the HDOA will identify and administer the funding to various groups and individuals in communities with high levels of food insecurity.
“Too many families in Hawaii and across the U.S. lack access to affordable, healthy food options within their own communities,” said Senator Hirono. “These grants will help people in Hawaii access more locally-grown food options—increasing food security across the islands. I am proud to have supported the provision in the 2018 Farm Bill that enabled this funding and I will continue working to strengthen federal support for food security projects across our state.”
This award is made possible through MGFSP, a program supported by Senator Hirono in the 2018 Farm Bill that promotes food security by helping local communities grow and store more nutritious food and to help feed families when supply chains are disrupted.
“The MGFSP has impacted more than 1100 Hawaii households and 25 organizations, providing them resources to grow food for their families and neighborhoods,” said Sharon Hurd, Chairperson of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. “Food security increases when we grow what we eat and eat what we grow—the MGFSP funds can be used to purchase, for example, gardening tools or equipment, soil, amendments, seeds, plants, animals, canning equipment, refrigerators/freezers, fencing, vertical farming units—to increase food production. Appreciate the work of our congressional delegation to bring millions of MGFSP dollars to Hawaii.”
The funding is part of a larger $15 million being awarded by the USDA AMS for 22 grant projects to promote the maple syrup industry and to strengthen and explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products. In addition to the MGFSP, the funding is being awarded through the Acer Access and Development Program (Acer) and the Federal State Marketing iMprovement Program (FSMIP).
“USDA’s investment in these grant programs will not only benefit local and regional producers, but also improve access to locally sourced food for underserved communities,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “We look forward to seeing the positive impacts these projects will have on the U.S. food and agricultural industry.”
As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, Senator Hirono has championed legislation to protect Hawaii’s environment, support local farmers, and secure stronger investment in the agriculture industry, while also working to ensure that communities across the country have access to healthy and fresh meals and produce. In September 2023, Senator Hirono introduced the AuGmenting Research and Educational Sites to Ensure Agriculture Remains Cutting-edge and Helpful (AG RESEARCH) Act, legislation to provide billions in funding to address deferred maintenance at U.S. schools of agriculture, including the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH CTAHR), and USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) facilities. In May 2023, Senator Hirono introduced the RTCP Revitalization Act, legislation to secure additional funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP) Program. The program enables geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in Hawaii, Alaska, and other insular areas to receive reimbursements for costs incurred when transporting supplies such as feed, fertilizer, and equipment parts. In May 2023, Senator Hirono sent a letter to Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), expressing her strong support for the agency’s proposed rule that would expand access to healthy, free school meals for students across the country.
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