11-09-2009, 12:25 AM
I'm all for local farming, and I buy as much as I can at the Farmers Markets.
But, the harsh reality is that if Hawaiian farmers can't beat mainland or overseas producers on price, even with the advantage of having to not ship it thousands of miles, then they are doomed. People look at price and maybe quality, not eco-miles or sustainability.
If you say you want tax breaks for farmers then that means less tax revenue and that shortfall has to come from somewhere. So in essence you're saying that you want everyone to pay for your choices. That's always a hard sell.
As for not being dependent on ships coming in for food, there will always be ships coming in with food. That's like saying Hawaii should build their own cars in case the cars stop coming. If there's money here, the goods will come. How do we get money? By managing our resources properly. Don't use land for agriculture if it can be more gainfully used in a different way.
I wish things were different but they're not. People don't want to pay more than necessary for anything.
But, the harsh reality is that if Hawaiian farmers can't beat mainland or overseas producers on price, even with the advantage of having to not ship it thousands of miles, then they are doomed. People look at price and maybe quality, not eco-miles or sustainability.
If you say you want tax breaks for farmers then that means less tax revenue and that shortfall has to come from somewhere. So in essence you're saying that you want everyone to pay for your choices. That's always a hard sell.
As for not being dependent on ships coming in for food, there will always be ships coming in with food. That's like saying Hawaii should build their own cars in case the cars stop coming. If there's money here, the goods will come. How do we get money? By managing our resources properly. Don't use land for agriculture if it can be more gainfully used in a different way.
I wish things were different but they're not. People don't want to pay more than necessary for anything.