In November of 2024, over 600 Hawai‘i agriculture experts and enthusiasts gathered to participate in the 2024 Hawai‘i Agriculture Conference (AG2024). The event which was hosted by the Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawai‘i (ALFH), with support from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA), offered participants over 30 sessions connected to the theme “Building CommUNITY through Hawai‘i Agriculture.” Recognizing the need for a more comprehensive approach to agriculture, conference planners encouraged the participation of both agricultural professionals and the broader community. The event offered attendees opportunities to learn from experts, share ideas, network, and work together to develop new strategies and solutions for addressing agriculture’s complex problems. Below is a sampling of AG2024 sessions and information on how you can find out more.

Keynote Panel

The conference began with a keynote panel entitled “Breaking the Mold: Propelling systems change in agriculture and the community.” Led by moderator Claire Sullivan, CEO of Farm Link Hawai‘i, the panel included local representatives Keoni Lee, CEO of Hawai‘i Investment Ready, and Bahman Sadeghi, Owner & CEO of Meadow Gold Dairies, alongside New Mexico Farmers Market Association representatives Alena Paisano and Michael Venticinque. The panel discussion focused on fostering collaboration among stakeholders and working together to address systemic challenges while sparking innovation. Panelists emphasized that by considering the economic, social, and environmental factors that influence agricultural practices, we can develop more effective and sustainable solutions. They also touched on how community-based approaches can promote food security and improve economic outcomes across the sector.

CTAHR’s Vision for Hawaii’s Ag Future

Derek Kurisu, Executive Vice President of KTA Super Stores, moderated another session of interest, entitled “CTAHR Deans’ Vision on Shaping Hawai‘i Agriculture’s Future.” During the session, Dean Parwinder Grewal and the Associate Deans of the University of Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) shared their vision including strategies to boost crop productivity, develop new value-added products, and establish CTAHR’s Agricultural Research and Extension Stations (CARES) as hubs of local innovation and community prosperity.

Subsidies Can Transform Local Food

Participants of the session “Leveraging Productive Subsidies: Strengthening Hawai’i’s Local Food Economy and Healthy Communities” had the opportunity to learn about the concept of productive subsidies and their transformative potential for enhancing Hawai’i’s local food economy and improving community health outcomes as experts from New Mexico shared their experiences. Discussions centered around successful initiatives such as DA BUX, Produce RX, and Medicaid Waivers, which have demonstrated effective strategies in Hawai’i and beyond. Thanks to proactive advocacy from a broad coalition of supporters, including HFIA, funding for DA BUX was included in the State Budget last year. With state funding secured The Hawai’i Food Basket was recently awarded an $8.4 million federal grant for the DA BUX program. Over the next 3 years, the DA BUX program will generate almost $25 million in local food sales for grocers, farmers markets, and local food subscription services.

The Importance of Local Egg Production

Avery Barry, Farm Manager of Waialua Fresh, joined other local egg producers in the session “Sunny Side Up: Local Egg Production in the Islands” to present market opportunities. Waialua Fresh plans to increase production of eggs from 300,000 per day to about 400,000 per day in 2025.  As bird flu continues to negatively impact mainland egg producers, local egg producers have gained ground and are increasingly vital for Hawai‘i’s egg consumers. Waialua Fresh and other local egg operations are doing their best to ramp up production to meet local demand now and in the future.

Go BIG For Ag

Some conference sessions focused on new initiatives or movements such as the HDOA’s interactive session that gathered feedback on the new statewide call to action “Go B.I.G. for Agriculture,” to BUY local products, INVEST in agriculture’s development and GROW agriculture’s capacity. The effort is aimed at ensuring that Hawai‘i’s agricultural sector thrives, adapts to future challenges, and contributes significantly to the state’s broader goals for sustainability, food security and economic resilience, all while preserving Hawai‘i’s unique cultural heritage.

Health Through Healthy Eating

The “Food as Medicine” session offered attendees an opportunity to learn about the transformative “Food is Medicine” (FIM) movement. Local experts discussed how integrating local and nutritious food into medical care can revolutionize healthcare, improve health outcomes, support local agriculture and promote food equity in Hawai‘i. This session also gave insights into how food prescriptions can help individuals access more healthy food and bring Federal funding into Hawai‘i’s food systems.

Small Farms Big Role

Data-driven insights and first-hand perspectives on the diversity and characteristics of Hawai‘i’s small farms, and the potential they can play in Hawai‘i’s food security were discussed in the session entitled “How Big of a Role do Small Farms Play in Hawai‘i’s Agriculture?”  Small farmers’ needs, scalability, and contributions to production, revenue, and the community were highlighted.  Farms with less than $500,000 in annual revenue generate almost a quarter of Hawai‘i’s agricultural sales, and account for 97% of the approximately 6,500 farms in Hawai‘i.

Adding Value Added Products

One topic of interest to many in the agriculture sector is value-added production. Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz moderated the session entitled “Expanding Value-Added Production: With a little help from the State and hubs.” Panelists, including Chris Bailey of the Wahiawa Value Added Product Development Center, discussed how producers can serve the community and move their products to markets through collaborative efforts. Insights on successful value-added ventures, logistical aspects of distribution, and gaps in current value-added centers were discussed. Participants gained a clearer understanding of the available resources, the needs of different communities, and potential collaborations to enhance value-added production.

Agricultural Leadership

The Hawai‘i Agriculture Conference is a program of ALFH, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization with deep roots in the islands. ALFH provides leadership development opportunities for people committed to strengthening agriculture in Hawai‘i.

The Agricultural Leadership Program (ALP) is the signature training program of ALFH. ALP is a multi-disciplinary leadership development program that brings together promising professionals from Hawai‘i’s diverse agriculture sector. ALP offers participants an in-depth look at Hawai‘i’s diverse agricultural system through in-person site visits that explore challenges and opportunities associated with agricultural operations; provide insights into the supply chain, transportation and value-added activities; and increase exposure to government policymaking and implementation. Participants take part in workshops that focus on leadership and skill development as well as activities that provide network building opportunities. Through ALP, participants develop the knowledge, tools and relationships to be more successful in their professional and community endeavors.

Since its inception in 1982, ALP has graduated over 200 leaders that are positively impacting Hawai‘i agriculture and their communities. The 12 participants of ALP Class XVIII graduated at AG2024. ALFH will be recruiting for ALP Class XIX in spring of 2025. Find out more at agleaderhi.org.

ALP Class XVIII graduates included:

Ramsey Brown, Pono Pacific Land Management
Juli Burden, Hawai‘i Agriculture Research Center
Justine Kamelamela, Keaukaha-Panaʻewa Farmers Association
Jin-Wah Lau, GoFarm Hawai‘i
Billy Lee, Kamehameha Schools
Kimia Sadeghi, Meadow Gold Dairies Hawai‘i (HFIA Member)
Molly Mamaril, O‘ahu Economic Development Board
Christian Mathias, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
Faun Skyles, Farm Link, Hawai‘i
Justin Teixeira, Mahi Pono, LLC (HFIA Member)
Austin Tom, Kualoa Ranch
Bronson Yadao, Kaua‘i Coffee Company (HFIA Member)

ALFH hosts the statewide agricultural conference approximately every two years, with the support of many partners and sponsors, to push, expand, and challenge private and public sector decision-makers to shape a vibrant agriculture industry in Hawai‘i. Explore the conference website at hiagconference.org to view AG2024 presentations as well as information on past conferences. Selected sessions can also be viewed on ‘Ōlelo Community Media and via ‘ŌleloNet. Visit olelo.org to find out more.