Nikhilananda, Nick

Office Seeking: State Representative, District 13 (Haiku, Hāna, Kaupo, Kipahulu, Nahiku, Paia, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, Molokai, Molokini)

Party: Green
Website: friendsofnikhilananda.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 have been speaking about food independence and security for years. We import close to ninety percent of our food; at one time Hawai'i was food self sufficient. Having huge mono-crop plantations for over a hundred years depleted the soil of nutrients, plus we have lost top soil. We must support regenerative soil activities and more organic farming. Hawaiians practiced regenerative agriculture which is a holistic approach to agriculture that focuses on the interconnection of farming systems and the ecological system as a whole. Sustainable agriculture includes promoting biodiversity, by rotating cover crops, limiting tillage, reducing using artificial fertilizers and employing regenerative grazing management. I was a member of the Maui Farmers Union United; they promote all of these, and other techniques for supporting agriculture in Hawai'i. I include all of these and more in my life, plus within my campaign platform.

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

I campaigned, testified and promoted a Maui County Department of Agriculture, which was recently adopted. Their mission is to “ …. support the development and continued management of a sustainable regional agricultural system …. to promote resident and ecosystem health and well-being and create a thriving circular agro-economic system …. “ Their responsibilities include developing a regional agricultural system for Maui County, to build economic pliability of all of Maui County by increasing opportunities in agriculture, increase food security and the health of residents, encouraging locally grown food, utilizing regenerative and natural practices, expanding and diversifying agriculture in Maui County. I was a member of Maui Farmers Union United for years and they would often suggest items and proposals to champion. I have also been an advocate for regenerative agriculture, ending the use of herbicides and pesticides by the Departments of Transportation and Parks and Recreation, plus curbside recycling. I have also supported developing food hubs and supporting small family farms and those who have plots on agricultural land, plus allowing more housing development for workers on legitimate family farms.

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

Hawaii has fertile land though it is expensive to buy and affordable long-term leases are difficult to come by, plus a year-round growing season. Pests and diseases are a constant challenge. I would support tax breaks and funding support for farmers. I have volunteered with Grow Some Good, which supports a Maui school garden network and farm to school programs, plus connects young people with their food, environment and culture with garden-based educational experiences. I have also supported the Common Ground Collective, which harvests food from residents’ yards and distributes the produce to local nonprofits to feed residents in need or sells to local businesses to reduce the need to import food and distributes produce that would otherwise have gone to waste.

I support Food Security Hawaii. Its Ohana Gardens project initiative supports food security and Hawaiian farming and develops skills for residents to prepare healthy food, compost, save seeds, grow orchards and save money on food purchases. Maui Food Technology Center showcases Maui County vendors, food trucks, farmers, food purveyors and others at its markets. I support the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, which assists families who plant, cultivate, harvest and prepare food from their gardens. The college’s curriculum includes seed saving, composting and other strategies to lower gardening costs and help build self-sufficiency.

Please indicate your position on the following policies:

Creating County funding mechanisms to support DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks. SUPPORT
Increasing local food procurement for Maui County schools. SUPPORT
Increasing Farm to School initiatives including school gardens. SUPPORT
Pursuing County Farm to Food Bank Funding. SUPPORT
Developing regional organic waste and composting services. SUPPORT
Restructuring the Department of Water Supply and Department of Wastewater to encourage strategies for conservation, efficient water use, storage, and growing water resources. SUPPORT
Increasing the budget for the Maui County Department of Agriculture. SUPPORT
Offering subsidies to local farms that have shown the ability to sustain production. SUPPORT
Supporting policies that allow for increased affordable housing for farmworkers. SUPPORT
Improving policies around hunting and utilizing invasive protein sources. SUPPORT
Funding updated shared processing facilities, including slaughterhouses and food hubs. SUPPORT
Implementing new inspection policies to reduce the spread of invasive species. SUPPORT
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.

There is going to be a Charter Amendment on the ballot asking the community if we want to establish a water commission to control our local water sources. This is something I have campaigned, testified and promoted for years. Years ago I petitioned to be an intervenor in the CWRM/DLNR water case where the Hawai'i Supreme Court ruled that more water needed to be released into the East Maui streams. A recent ruling by the HSC again stated that A & B/EMI need to significantly reduce the amount of water it diverts from East Maui streams. We must step up, improve and expand our inspections for invasive species, both into Hawai'i and between islands. This was a major reason for opposition years ago to the Superferry, which attempted to avoid an environmental impact statement. As I wrote above, I am a supporter of and expanding DA BUX plus food hubs and their expansion. Though a vegetarian for fifty years, as long as it can be done as humanely as possible, realizing they are all sentient beings, I support using invasive animals for food. I support all types/kinds of affordable housing, including for farm workers. Hawai'i is getting close to $3 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Some money to support various programs on Maui may be gotten from this. I support tax breaks and financial support for farmers. I have supported the establishment of the Department of Agriculture and feel it needs substantial funding. The Department of Water Supply and Wastewater Reclamation Division need to be encourage to develop strategies for conservation, efficient water use, storage, and developing water resources. Cesspools are required to be converted to other wastewater systems; residents c/should consult with the DOH Wastewater Branch and the County wastewater program to learn of alternative wastewater treatment options and updates on cesspool conversions. Funding may also be available from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. We must develop regional organic waste and composting services to make convenient to more farmers and residents. I also support getting federal funding from TEFAP to reduce food waste in the production, processing, and distribution to harvest, process, package, or transport food donated by farms and farmers. As a teacher for many years I spoke about having more local food from farms plus developing school gardens.

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?

Especially for the North shore and East Maui and for Moloka'i, it is the continued diversion of the natural flow of water in the creeks and streams, negatively impacting the residents of these areas. I will be a constant voice in reintroducing water to stream flows, limit or delete diversions and bring back the streams to their natural state. The food supply chain in Hawai'i needs assistance as many advocate agricultural concepts such as food hubs which act as a distribution network and can help boost production and profit which I will continually support. I would also be a proponent of shopping local, supporting small farmers and farmers markets, plus increasing food production and self-sufficiency, with tax incentives and tax breaks. It is about producing food plus distributing from the farmer to the customer. Lessen what is blocking in processing and other obstacles. Support making DA BUX a permanent part of State-run benefits. Encourage changing what we eat; there are delicious local food alternatives which are well-suited for production in the islands. As I have stated above; money may be available from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.