Report on Hawaiʻi’s Agricultural and Biosecurity Initiatives Presented at the 2025 NLGA Annual Meeting

Executive Summary

At the 2025 Annual Meeting of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA), Hawaiʻi Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke presented on the state’s strategic efforts in agricultural innovation and biosecurity. The presentation highlighted initiatives aimed at enhancing local food production and resilience, directly aligning with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The discussion focused on Hawaiʻi’s unique position as an isolated population center and the critical need to strengthen its agricultural sector to reduce its current 90% reliance on imported food.

Key Presentation Points and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Lt. Gov. Luke’s presentation, part of a panel titled “Protecting and Promoting Your State’s Natural Assets,” emphasized a multi-faceted approach to agricultural sustainability. The core themes are intrinsically linked to the global framework of the SDGs.

• Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2: Zero Hunger)
  • A primary objective is to increase local food production to achieve greater food security and self-sufficiency for Hawaiʻi’s population.
  • This initiative directly supports SDG Target 2.4, which aims to ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices.
  • By investing in local farmers and reducing import dependency, the state is working towards ensuring all people have access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food.
• Economic Growth and Innovation (SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth & SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure)
  • The promotion of unique, high-value specialty crops such as commercially grown coffee and cacao is central to the state’s economic strategy.
  • This focus on diversification and value-added products contributes to SDG Target 8.2, which encourages economic productivity through diversification and innovation.
  • Scaling agricultural innovation, particularly in isolated communities, aligns with SDG 9 by building resilient infrastructure and fostering inclusive and sustainable industrialization.
• Biosecurity and Ecosystem Protection (SDG 15: Life on Land)
  • Robust biosecurity measures were highlighted as essential for protecting Hawaiʻi’s unique agricultural landscape and biodiversity.
  • These efforts are critical for achieving SDG Target 15.8, which calls for measures to prevent the introduction of invasive alien species and reduce their impact on land and water ecosystems.

Collaboration and Strategic Partnerships (SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals)

A significant portion of the discussion was dedicated to the importance of collaboration in achieving these agricultural and biosecurity goals. This aligns with SDG 17, which emphasizes the need for strong partnerships.

1. Federal Partnerships: Continued collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is deemed crucial for easing regulatory barriers that affect the import and export of Hawaiʻi-grown products.
2. Interstate Collaboration: The meeting provided a platform to explore opportunities for collaboration with other states, sharing best practices and strategies for agricultural development.
3. Multi-Stakeholder Engagement: Strong partnerships between the state government, local farmers, and federal agencies are foundational to moving toward greater food security and resilience.

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

The article on Hawaiʻi’s agricultural innovation and biosecurity efforts addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The core issues of local food production, economic development through agriculture, protecting the natural landscape, and fostering partnerships are directly linked to the following SDGs:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  This goal is central to the article. The discussion revolves around enhancing food security by “investing in local food production” and aiming to “reduce reliance on imported food.” The statement that Hawaiʻi currently imports “nearly 90% of our food” directly highlights the challenge of food security, which is the primary focus of SDG 2.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article connects agricultural development to economic growth. By promoting “world-class products from coffee and cacao to tropical fruits and flowers,” Hawaiʻi is looking to diversify its economy. The mention of coffee being a crop Hawaiʻi “grows commercially” points to agriculture as a source of economic activity and employment.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The theme of “agricultural innovation” is mentioned multiple times. The article discusses “strategies for scaling agricultural innovation in isolated and rural communities” and the need to ease “regulatory barriers,” which relates to creating a conducive policy environment for innovation and infrastructure development to support the agricultural sector.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article explicitly mentions the goal of moving toward “greater food security and resilience.” Building resilience, especially in the face of challenges unique to an “isolated population center,” is a key component of making communities and settlements sustainable.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The focus on “robust biosecurity measures” and the panel discussion title, “Protecting and Promoting Your State’s Natural Assets,” directly align with SDG 15. This goal aims to protect ecosystems and biodiversity from threats, such as invasive species, which biosecurity measures are designed to prevent.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article heavily emphasizes collaboration. It highlights the importance of “strong partnerships with local farmers, collaboration across states, and support from the US Department of Agriculture.” The entire context of the NLGA meeting is about exchanging best practices and fostering “interstate collaboration” and “federal partnerships,” which is the essence of SDG 17.

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

Based on the article’s content, several specific targets can be identified:

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. The article’s focus on reducing food importation and achieving “greater food security” for its isolated population directly relates to this target.
   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems… and that progressively improve land and soil quality. The mention of “resilience” and protecting Hawaiʻi’s “unique agricultural landscape” aligns with this target.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors. The promotion of “specialty crops” like coffee and cacao represents a move towards diversification and high-value agricultural sectors.

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.b: Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities. The discussion on “agricultural innovation” and the need to “ease regulatory barriers” directly supports this target.

4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.b: By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, disaster risk reduction, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels. The stated goal of moving toward “greater food security and resilience” is an integrated policy aimed at reducing the vulnerability of Hawaiʻi’s communities.

5. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.8: By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species. The emphasis on “robust biosecurity measures” is a direct implementation of this target to protect Hawaiʻi’s unique natural assets.

6. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The article explicitly mentions the need for “strong partnerships with local farmers, collaboration across states, and support from the US Department of Agriculture” as key to achieving its goals.

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

Yes, the article mentions and implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Indicator for SDG Target 2.1

  The article provides a clear baseline indicator: “we currently import nearly 90% of our food.” Progress towards greater food security (Target 2.1) can be directly measured by the reduction in this percentage over time. A decrease in the proportion of imported food would indicate an increase in local food production and availability.

• Indicator for SDG Target 8.2

  An implied indicator is the economic contribution of specialty crops. The article highlights that Hawaiʻi is the “only state in the nation that grows coffee commercially” and also mentions cacao, tropical fruits, and flowers. Progress could be measured by tracking the production volume, export value, and land area dedicated to these high-value specialty crops.

• Indicator for SDG Target 15.8

  An implied indicator for biosecurity (Target 15.8) would be the implementation and effectiveness of the “robust biosecurity measures.” While not quantified in the article, progress could be measured by the number of biosecurity protocols established, the rate of invasive species interceptions, and the reduction in new invasive species establishments.

• Indicator for SDG Target 17.17

  The existence and number of partnerships are an implied indicator. The article mentions “strong partnerships with local farmers, collaboration across states, and support from the US Department of Agriculture.” Progress could be measured by tracking the number of formal agreements, joint projects, and the amount of funding or resources leveraged through these collaborations.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: mauinow.com