HFIA’s new Chair, Jayson Watts, brings many years of valuable experience and also a new perspective to the role. As one of the Association’s only Chairs from the agricultural sector, and from a neighbor island, Jayson has unique insights on our industry. He has long been involved with local politics, as well as local food. In addition to serving on HFIA Executive Committee he also serves on the Board of the Agribusiness Development Corporation. We took some time to get to know our Chair and hear some of his thoughts for the future.
How did you first get involved with Mahi Pono?
Joining Mahi Pono in 2019 was a pivotal decision for me personally. Because I had never worked in the private sector, my entire career up until that point had been rooted in public policy at the federal and state levels, and in the last few years focusing on how we might move the needle on Hawaii’s food sustainability. This transition provided a real opportunity to move beyond the policy table and onto the production side to show that the goals we set for our schools, institutions, and local communities are actually achievable. A major part of that collective effort in government was establishing the Farm to School Task Force, which eventually created the ‘Aina Pono program as a public-private collaborative to bring fresh, local food to our keiki.
The work at ‘Aina Pono was truly a group success that provided concrete proof that scratch-cooking and local procurement are viable. The data from the pilot at Mililani High School was a testament to what a dedicated staff can achieve, showing a 57% increase in student lunch participation and a savings of $107,657 in just five months by reducing waste and improving efficiencies. Even with those results, there remains a deep-seated skepticism that increasing local consumption for our institutions on a significant scale is impossible. Joining Mahi Pono felt like the right time to "put your money where your mouth is" and work toward proving the skeptics wrong.
The scale at Mahi Pono is a game-changer for our local economy and food security. By revitalizing thousands of acres of former sugar land into a diversified hub of crops like citrus and coffee, the effort goes beyond farming; it is about diversifying our economy away from a singular reliance on tourism. The goal is to provide the consistent, high-volume supply that Hawaii’s schools and state institutions need to finally break a long-standing reliance on imports creating a living reality for Hawaii, a legacy of fresh, locally grown sustenance for the next generation.
Can you tell us a little about your background in local politics?
My foundation in local politics and public policy was built on the legendary example of the late Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink. I was fortunate to start as a congressional intern and later serve as a staff assistant in her Washington, D.C., and Honolulu offices. It was a formative time that provided a front-row seat to her tireless advocacy, though it is funny to look back at the year 2000. It feels like a lifetime ago, it was a time when "Googling" was barely a verb, flip phones were the height of technology, and my morning routine involved physically reading and clipping seven different newspapers to keep the Congresswoman briefed.
Congresswoman Mink was a transformative force who spent her career fighting for the marginalized to ensure that all citizens could share in our country’s promise. While she is most widely recognized as the principal author of Title IX, her fight for equity went much deeper. She was a fierce advocate for social justice, specifically focusing and the needs of women, children, and underserved populations. Her work championed the creation of a national daycare system and federal programs for early childhood education, such as Head Start, ensuring that the most vulnerable families had a path forward.
That commitment to underserved populations is a mission that continues in my work today, including my service with the Hawaii Food Industry Association (HFIA). In Hawaii, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is more than just a benefit; it is a critical lifeline for our community. On average, 160,000 Hawaii residents, roughly 11.2% of our population, rely on SNAP to keep food on the table. This program is a fundamental pillar for the health of our state, especially for our keiki, as SNAP enrollment often automatically qualifies families for critical initiatives like free school meals and summer nutrition programs.
Through the HFIA, we work to protect this economic safety net and bridge the gap between local industry and the families who need it most. Much like Congresswoman Mink’s fight for social-welfare initiatives, we are focused on ensuring that the systems meant to support our people remain stable and accessible. Whether it is fighting for the resources women and children need to thrive or supporting initiatives that connect local production to hungry families, the goal remains the same: ensuring our government and industry work together to improve the lives and health of every citizen in Hawaii.
What makes Mahi Pono unique?
What makes Mahi Pono unique is its role as the centerpiece of a historic shift in Hawaii’s agricultural landscape, representing the state’s largest experiment in large-scale diversified farming. Since acquiring roughly 41,000 acres of former sugarcane land in 2018, the operation has moved away from the century-old monocrop model to become a diverse producer, notably becoming the largest producer of limes in the United States. While the initial strategy focused on replacing imports for local schools and grocery stores, the sheer scale of the project and the millions of trees now reaching maturity have created harvest volumes that surpass local demand. This surplus is driving a strategic shift toward global and mainland export markets to ensure the long-term economic viability of the 41,000-acre project.
Beyond its production capacity, the operation is distinguished by its total stewardship of the East Maui Irrigation (EMI) system, a vast and historic water delivery network. Managing this infrastructure requires a unique blend of 19th-century engineering and 21st-century technology, utilizing automated sensors and precision irrigation to operate with significantly less water than previous plantation eras. Furthermore, Mahi Pono integrates a community-centric model that is rare for a large commercial entity; by allocating land and resources to independent growers through the Mahi Pono Community Farm, the company functions as both a major commercial producer and a foundational support system for Maui’s broader agricultural ecosystem.
Can you tell us about your work with the Agribusiness Development Corporation?
As a member of the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) Board of Directors, initially appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate in late 2022 and recently reappointed in 2026, I serve as the Board Chair with a focus on transforming Hawaiʻi’s agricultural landscape. Established by the Legislature in 1994, the ADC was created to provide the leadership needed to transition Hawaiʻi’s economy from the plantation era to a future of diversified agriculture. As sugar and pineapple operations wound down, the ADC was empowered to keep thousands of acres of arable land and complex irrigation networks in productive use for the public benefit.
Today, the ADC acts as a strategic driver of food security, administering more than 22,800 acres across Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Hawaiʻi Island. With an 81% occupancy rate, the corporation provides the physical foundation for hundreds of local farmers, ranchers, and aquaculture producers who are essential to increasing our local food production. My role as Chair is to ensure our investments are transparent and strategic, particularly as we use the 2021 audit as a roadmap for reform.
Central to the ADC mission is the restoration and operation of historic irrigation systems that comprise our state’s water heritage. These public trust systems include the Waiāhole Irrigation System on Oʻahu, a 26-mile engineering marvel delivering up to 12 million gallons of water daily, and the Kekaha Irrigation System on Kauaʻi, which serves over 6,500 acres while providing renewable hydroelectric energy and vital flood control. We also manage the East Kauaʻi Irrigation System, which supports nearly 6,000 acres of diverse crops ranging from traditional taro to tropical fruits.
A high priority for my current term is the 2026 acquisition of the Wahiawā Irrigation System on Oʻahu from Dole. Anchored by the Wahiawā Dam and Lake Wilson, this system has the potential to support up to 17,000 acres of prime farmland. Completion of this acquisition is a true "win-win" for the Oʻahu community because it includes a critical health and safety component: the remediation of the Wahiawā Dam to meet all applicable safety regulations and compliance standards. Stabilizing this system provides disaster resilience against flooding, mitigates wildfire risk by maintaining active green belts, and protects groundwater aquifers by providing high-quality R-1 recycled water for irrigation.
We are also focusing on "getting shovels in the ground" for nearly $100 million in active capital projects, including the Wahiawā Central Kitchen and the Central Oʻahu Agriculture & Food Hub. My long-term vision remains a self-sustaining agricultural economy that secures Hawaiʻi’s food future. By preserving these lands and water systems, we protect the ability of future generations to grow food, support local economies, and maintain our islands’ resilience. Every investment we make is moving us toward a future where farming is once again a source of opportunity, innovation, and pride for every island community.
What do you think are the biggest challenges our industry is facing for the future?
The most significant challenges facing our industry involve the inherent vulnerability of our supply chains and the advancing age of our critical infrastructure. Currently, Hawaiʻi spends an estimated $3.1 billion annually on imported food, a capital outflow that represents a profound economic leak and leaves the islands dangerously exposed to global market volatility and logistics disruptions. This reliance on a "just-in-time" shipping model means that any external shock, be it fuel price spikes or port instability, directly threatens our baseline food security.
Specifically, we face a pervasive "resilience gap" where local producers are stymied by a lack of mid-tier industrial support. Without accessible aggregation hubs, regional cold storage, and modern processing facilities, even high-yield harvests cannot be moved efficiently to market or compete with the shelf-life of diversified imports.
Furthermore, the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, from catastrophic wildfires to flash flooding, threatens the integrity of the historic irrigation systems that serve as the fundamental backbone of our agricultural lands. These legacy water delivery assets are the lifeblood of production, yet they are increasingly vulnerable to environmental stress. Overcoming these hurdles requires a paradigm shift: we must move away from a model of costly, reactive repairs and toward a philosophy of proactive, strategic modernization of our essential land and water assets to ensure long-term statutory and operational stability.
What makes you excited about the future of Hawaii food?
The future of Hawaii food is exciting because it is no longer just about consumption, it is about capacity. Through HFIA’s dedicated legislative advocacy and industry leadership, we are building the physical infrastructure and the policy framework necessary to shift the needle.
HFIA is at the forefront of ensuring that Hawaii champions initiatives that support local food manufacturing and strengthen the ties between producers and the shelf, we are turning the vision of a self-reliant Hawaii into a functional, thriving reality for our entire island community.
