Ag Department, Year 2: Director eyes ag parks, food security divisions

Maui County Department of Agriculture Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

Maui County Department of Agriculture Director Kali Arce chats with guests during an open house in Wailuku on July 20 to mark the one-year anniversary of the department, which was established in July 2022. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

The Maui County Department of Agriculture, established in July 2022, has made significant progress in its first year of operation. The department managed over 50 county grants related to agriculture, assumed management of the Kula Agricultural Park, and conducted listening sessions with farmers on Maui, Molokai, and Lanai.

Expanding Focus on Agricultural Park Operations and Food Security

The department is now shifting its focus from grants and funding to the operations of the agricultural park and efforts to enhance food security. Director Rogerene “Kali” Arce expressed her pride in the department’s accomplishments and her excitement for the second year, which will bring greater capacity and functionality.

Establishment and Leadership

In November 2020, Maui County residents voted to establish the Department of Agriculture with the aim of improving food security and supporting local farmers. An agriculture advisory group was formed in 2021 to provide recommendations for the department’s establishment. Kali Arce, a seasoned professional with over three decades of experience in farming and agricultural education, was appointed as the department’s first director.

Kula farmer Leonard Yamamura talks with Annette Niles (left) and Bobby Pahia during an open house in Wailuku on July 20 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Maui County Department of Agriculture. Yamamura said his family has been farming on Maui for generations and he remembers when Kula farmers grew nearly all the cabbages sold in the state. The former county agriculture specialist now lives in Waikapu and raises meat goats on the family’s Kula land. He says he would like to help the new department return Upcountry’s rich farmland to agriculture. “I know what it used to look like,” he said. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Over the past year, the department’s staff has grown from two to seven members. This includes a grants development team and administration office personnel. The department provides public services such as information on grants and funding opportunities, as well as technical assistance for farmers preparing to apply for grants.

Future Plans and Initiatives

The department is seeking to hire an agricultural park maintenance specialist to oversee the operations of the agricultural parks division. They are also looking for a food access coordinator to establish the food security division. These additions will further enhance the department’s capacity and functionality.

Director Arce emphasized the importance of the grants division, which provides funding opportunities for various sizes of agriculture operations, including livestock and food hub, large farmers, and small farmers.

Kali Arce was chosen as the Maui County Department of Agriculture’s first director under the Michael Victorino administration and was kept on by Mayor Richard Bissen’s administration. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

The department has successfully managed several grants, including projects focused on salt production and on-farm food processing. In its second year, the department aims to continue developing its framework to carry out initiatives outlined in the five-year Strategic Plan. This includes the establishment of support divisions such as agriculture parks and food security.

Listening sessions with farmers and ranchers have provided valuable input for the department’s strategic plan. The sessions covered various areas of focus, including infrastructure, grants and funding opportunities, education and advocacy, pests, regenerative agriculture, workforce, transportation, market distribution, theft, and sustainable agriculture.

The department has also taken on capital improvement projects related to the expansion of the Kula Agricultural Park. This includes the development of additional agricultural lots and the relocation of a booster pump to ensure water access in the expanded area. While there is no exact timeline for when the new lots will be available, it is estimated to be within two years.

The department is actively working on two initiatives: marketing and distribution, and education. The marketing and distribution initiative involves convening agriculture producers to learn from experts and develop pathways to get locally grown foods, produce, and meats to the department. The education initiative includes planning the first Keiki Food Summit for middle school students in Maui County, with the goal of increasing student participation in agriculture courses and programs, as well as promoting agriculture production, technology, and food security.

Conclusion

The Maui County Department of Agriculture has made significant progress in its first year, managing grants, assuming management of the Kula Agricultural Park, and engaging with farmers and ranchers through listening sessions. The department is committed to further enhancing its capacity and functionality to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of food security and sustainable agriculture.

* Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 15: Life on Land

The article discusses the establishment and operations of the Maui County Department of Agriculture, which aims to boost food security and offer assistance to local farmers. This aligns with SDG 2, which focuses on achieving zero hunger. The department’s efforts to expand its staff, focus on agricultural park operations, and tackle food security also connect to SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), and SDG 15 (life on land).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers.
• Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation.
• Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable.
• Target 12.3: By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains.
• Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified include doubling agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers (Target 2.3), achieving higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation (Target 8.2), upgrading infrastructure and retrofitting industries to make them sustainable (Target 9.4), halving per capita global food waste and reducing food losses (Target 12.3), and combating desertification and restoring degraded land (Target 15.3).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 2.3.1: Volume of production per labor unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size.
• Indicator 8.2.1: Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person.
• Indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emission per unit of value added.
• Indicator 12.3.1: Food loss index.
• Indicator 15.3.1: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area.

The article does not explicitly mention indicators, but based on the identified targets, the following indicators can be used to measure progress towards those targets: volume of production per labor unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size (Indicator 2.3.1), annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person (Indicator 8.2.1), CO2 emission per unit of value added (Indicator 9.4.1), food loss index (Indicator 12.3.1), and proportion of land that is degraded over total land area (Indicator 15.3.1).

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: mauinews.com

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