Federal funding uncertainty threatens Hawai‘i’s food systems
Apr 08, 2025
A new survey reveals that Hawai‘i farmers and food system organizations are facing severe impacts from federal funding disruptions, with an estimated $88 million in paused, eliminated or uncertain federal funds at stake — approximately 13% of Hawai‘i’s annual agricultural economy.
Conducted by the O'ahu Resource Conservation and Development Council (ORCD), the survey includes 85+ survey responses from across the islands and shows that farmers are already taking drastic measures. More than half of surveyed food producers and agricultural organizations report frozen payments for completed work, primarily involving U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. In addition, nearly half of those with paused funding report delaying or stopping work entirely, while others are dipping into personal savings or scaling back food production.
Among the programs affected are the Climate Smart Commodities Grant, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Regional Food Business Center, and numerous other USDA initiatives. In some cases, farmers completed projects with the expectation of reimbursement that has now been suspended.
Other preliminary insights from the draft report:
- The situation appears particularly concerning for Hawai‘i, where farmers already face input costs up to 40% higher than the continental average.
- Looking ahead, nearly one-third of respondents plan to delay or stop work entirely in the next three months if funding issues persist.
- Others anticipate cutting expenses (16.1%), stopping hiring (11.5%), or laying off staff (6.9%).
Link to the full survey report: Here
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