Molina, Mike

Molina, Mike

Office Seeking: Maui Mayor

Party: Non-partisan
Website: votemikemolina.com

Food security is defined by the USDA as "access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life." How will your platform address food insecurity in Maui County?

I would support funding for the following:

• Increase public awareness of where our citizens can get access to food--Mobile service delivery of food for families in need

• Organizations like the Food Bank and Maui Food Hub.

I would also consider changing existing policies to fit current needs and not on past practices

Please list any initiatives you have supported in Maui County to increase food access and food production that you are proud of:

I am proud to support all request for funding related to food access and food production including a request from the Maui Food Hub for my district.

It is my hope that as part of economic diversification, we can expand our agriculture industry to the point where we eventually become major food exporters. I supported the charter amendment to create the Department of Agriculture which was initially opposed by our current Mayor. With all our concerns about food sustainability and security, the time is right to have a local agriculture department that can provide immediate assistance for our farmers and ranchers

Hawaiʻi imports roughly 85% of our food supply. How will your platform address increasing local food production?

First of all, I supported the charter amendment for the Maui Department of Agriculture. Now that it has been passed by the electorate, if elected Mayor I will have this department and the Office of Economic Development provide marketing assistance and access to grants for farmer and ranchers to keep their businesses viable. I will ask both of these departments to work with agricultural stakeholders to develop a coop system of supplies and large farm equipment at prices our farmers and ranchers can afford.

Please indicate your position on the following policies:

1. Creating County funding mechanisms to support DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks. SUPPORT

2. Increasing local food procurement for Maui County schools. SUPPORT

3. Increasing Farm to School initiatives including school gardens. SUPPORT

4. Pursuing County Farm to Food Bank Funding. SUPPORT

5. Developing regional organic waste and composting services. SUPPORT

6. Restructuring the Department of Water Supply and Department of Wastewater to encourage strategies for conservation, efficient water use, storage, and growing water resources. SUPPORT

7. Increasing the budget for the Maui County Department of Agriculture. SUPPORT

8. Offering subsidies to local farms that have shown the ability to sustain production. SUPPORT

9. Supporting policies that allow for increased affordable housing for farmworkers. SUPPORT

10. Improving policies around hunting and utilizing invasive protein sources. SUPPORT

11. Funding updated shared processing facilities, including slaughterhouses and food hubs. SUPPORT

12. Implementing new inspection policies to reduce the spread of invasive species. SUPPORT

13. Establishing local control of water resources through a Maui County Community Water Authority, with the ability to establish regional community boards. SUPPORT

Please elaborate on any of your above positions here.

Community based food systems that create regional markers that shorten the distance between consumer and farmer are of real value, The Double Up Food Bucks program that doubles the value of SNAP benefits is one program that I would favor supporting since it benefits both SNAP recipients and farmers affected by the pandemic.

Are there other issues, County-wide or within your own residency area, about food security that concern you, and how do you plan to address these issues if elected?

Working with our Department of Agriculture and stakeholders in the agriculture community, I would like to have a Food Security Plan developed in the event of shipping disruptions or disasters. The key for Food Sustainability is to insure we have a constant supply of food on hand which is why government needs to step up it's support with funding, providing incentives, reviewing policies and resolving conflicts between State and County zoning laws.