Mayor Bissen signs County Food and Nutrition Security Plan into law

Plan provides a comprehensive vision for how food is grown, distributed and accessed

Mayor Richard Bissen signed Bill 98 into law yesterday, codifying the Maui County Food and Nutrition Security Plan and establishing a long-term framework to strengthen food security and Maui County’s local food system.

The measure, introduced by Councilmember Gabe Johnson with the support of the administration, reflects the County’s commitment to ensuring the plan continues to guide food security efforts for years to come. The Maui County Council unanimously passed Bill 98 on second and final reading Sept. 4.

“Food security is too important to our future to simply create a plan and put it on a shelf,” Mayor Bissen said. “By working together with the County Council to put this plan into law, we are making a long-term commitment to strengthening local food production, supporting our farmers and producers, and ensuring our families have greater access to healthy, locally grown food. This is about building a more resilient Maui Nui for generations to come.”

Developed through a multiyear community process led by the Maui County Department of Agriculture, the Maui County Food and Nutrition Security Plan provides a comprehensive vision for the County’s food system, addressing how food is grown, harvested, processed, distributed, consumed and recovered.

“Codifying this plan gives it staying power,” Councilmember Gabe Johnson said. “Our communities put years of work into identifying what Maui County needs to become more food secure. Passing Bill 98 ensures that work remains part of how the County plans, sets priorities and measures progress, not just today, but well into the future.”

Hundreds of residents helped shape the plan, including farmers, ranchers, fishers, hunters, educators, public health professionals and other community members across Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. Their input identified food system needs and solutions specific to Maui County and helped establish priorities for strengthening local food production and access.

The plan focuses on four interconnected goals: ensuring residents have access to nourishing and culturally relevant foods; supporting producers and expanding local food production; building strong local food economies and viable agricultural career pathways; and promoting healthy, resilient ecosystems and responsible stewardship of natural resources.

The Maui County Department of Agriculture has already begun implementing the plan in partnership with producers, community organizations, nonprofits, small businesses and government agencies. Progress will be tracked through a public dashboard on the department’s website, scheduled to launch in January 2027.

By codifying the plan, the County has established a framework for maintaining and updating it as community needs evolve, helping guide future County policies, programs and investments related to food security, agriculture and the local food economy.

“Our ability to feed our own people is fundamental to the resilience of our islands,” Bissen said. “The choices we make today about our land, our food and the people who produce it will shape what Maui Nui looks like for the generations that follow.”

The Maui County Food and Nutrition Security Plan is available at www.mauicounty.gov/agriculture.

For more information, contact the Maui County Department of Agriculture at (808) 270-8276 or [email protected].

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