A study done for Hawaii County on food self-sufficiency has received a 2012 Planning Award from the Hawaii Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Adopted in 2010, the Hawai’i County Food Self-Sufficiency Baseline study provided a summary of the current state of local food production and import data for Hawai’i County.
The study revealed that roughly 95% of all fresh milk sold on the Big Island comes from the two local dairies, and 17% of the fresh beef sold commercially on the island comes from local ranchers.
The study noted that Big Island ranchers produce roughly twice the number of cattle needed to feed the island’s population, but most are shipped to the mainland for fattening and market.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
The report was produced for the county Department of Research and Development by the University of Hawaii at Hilo Geography and Environmental Studies Department and Jeffrey Melrose of Island Planning.
The award was given in the category of Innovations for Sustaining Places.
The APA said the report “… provides important baseline data for measuring food production and consumption and agricultural activity as a basis for monitoring food self-sufficiency in Hawai’i County.”
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
The group also applauded the report’s self-sufficiency scorecard and maps depicting agricultural activity throughout the county.
“The study provides a good foundation for future action affecting agriculture in Hawaii,” the association said.
This comments section is a public community forum for the purpose of free expression. Although Big Island Now encourages respectful communication only, some content may be considered offensive. Please view at your own discretion. View Comments
