The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems on Feb. 18, 2026.
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Feb. 18, 2026, 9:30 a.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 325 and Videoconference
To: House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems
Rep. Cory M. Chun, Chair
Rep. Matthias Kusch, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB1737 HD1 — RELATING TO FARM EMPLOYEE HOUSING
Aloha Chairs, Vice Chairs and other members of the Committees,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB1737 HD1, which would add a definition of the term “farm employee housing” to state law.
Under the bill, farm employee housing would refer to “one or more residential dwelling units accessory to the farm operation that may be attached or detached from the primary farm dwelling; provided that the farm employee housing shall be no larger than eight hundred habitable square feet under roof per residential dwelling unit.”
Grassroot pointed out in its January 2026 policy brief “How to facilitate more housing for Hawaii farm and ranch workers” that a lack of affordable housing has consistently been cited as a barrier to expanding agricultural production in Hawaii. The report also made clear that there is no statewide standard for how and where farm employee housing can be built.
Approving this bill would give farmers and ranchers an extra tool to help attract and retain workers, because living on the land could minimize commute times and transportation expenses. Consider the following information:
>> Hawaii imports 85-90% of its food supply.[1]
>> A 2020 U.S. Department of Agriculture survey found that 41% of the state’s farmers and ranchers cited a lack of labor as a barrier to expanding their operations.[2]
>> More than 9,500 people in Hawaii were employed as “hired farm labor” in 2023.[3]
>> More than half of those people worked on farms and ranches on Hawaii Island alone,[4] but only one-quarter of Hawaii Island farmers reported hiring labor.
Allowing more housing on farms and ranches, especially for temporary and seasonal workers, would be a win for farm and ranch owners, a win for their employees and a win for everyone who enjoys local food.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] Hannah Leto, Jordan Mitkowski and Katie Hogan et al., “Agricultural Labor on Hawaiʻi Island,” Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University, May 2025, p. 1.
[2] “Labor Shortage as a Barrier to Agricultural Expansion 2020,” Hawaii Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, April 2022.
[3] “Hawaii PYs 2024-2027,” Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, p. 70.
[4] Hannah Leto, Jordan Mitkowski and Katie Hogan et al., “Agricultural Labor on Hawaiʻi Island,” Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University, May 2025, pp. 4-5.
