Federal Regulations Are Crippling Hawaiʻi Farmers, Report Says
A new report from the Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs estimates the state could more than double the value of its agricultural industry if federal biosecurity processes were less burdensome.
By Thomas Heaton
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The state could more than double the value of its agricultural industry if Hawaiʻi-specific federal regulations were streamlined to give local producers a greater chance of selling products in the continental U.S., according to a new report by the Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs.
The report estimates that farmers lose out on approximately $800 million in potential mainland sales every year – more than the entire industry’s estimated value.
The current federal biosecurity framework essentially treats Hawaiʻi like a foreign nation, pitting farmers against a tedious set of biosecurity regulations which, according to the institute, could be simplified to help local agriculture. Those regulations are designed to protect the mainland from Hawai’i’s myriad agricultural pests, such as fruit flies, but have crippled the islands’ farmers by keeping them from key mainland markets, the report says.
A complex set of regulations prevents many fresh fruits and vegetables from being sent to the mainland, such as cacao. The raw fruit cannot be exported unless it’s dried or processed. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
The problem should be a statewide economic concern, the report says. Addressing the problem would be a game-changer for the state, allowing farmers to unlock entirely new markets with new and existing crops, said Cameron Deptula, one of the report’s authors.
State leaders have long pledged to increase local food production and food security, though persistent struggles with regulations and the cost of land, labor, water and infrastructure have hampered efforts.