Honolulu City Council member calls for more local produce at farmers markets

HONOLULU (KHON2) — A Honolulu City Council member wants to make sure more local produce are being sold at the People’s Open Market.

A resolution to require a 30% threshold of locally grown produce and products will be discussed Thursday, June 17.

The City’s Park and Recreation director will testify at the council’s Committee on Parks and Community Services meeting, where a resolution was introduced to require all vendors to offer a minimum of 30% locally grown products by 2025, and increase that minimum to 60% by 2028.

Honolulu City Council member Radiant Cordero introduced the resolution. The People’s Open Market offers access to fresh produce to communities across the island, and she said the resolution would help achieve the city’s sustainability goals, as well as help local farmers stay afloat.

“I think the 30% by 2025 for our People’s Open Market is really fair,” Cordero said. “And I hope we can also get data provided from our vendors, but especially our department of parks and recreation from this so that we can track our goals.”

A parks and recreation spokesperson said Director Laura Thielen will be providing information on the farmers and vendors who participate in the market.

“There’s a lot of availability of food, and I just want to ensure that we’re supporting our local farmers by really codifying this putting it into our rules,” Cordero said.

In the meantime, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation Executive Director Brian Miyamoto voiced his support.

“By requiring 30%, and then three years later 60%, again it will motivate and incentives our small farmers to continue to farm,” Miyamoto said. “They have this new market it will help us in our goal for more food security.”

The Committee on Parks and Community Services meeting will take place Thursday at 2:30 p.m.