Hawai‘i Agribusiness Development Corp. to hold first board meeting on Maui, Oct. 16

The Hawai‘i Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) will hold its next board of directors meeting on Maui, marking the first time the state agency has convened on the island.

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at 10 a.m. at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College’s Pilina Event Center, 310 W. Ka‘ahumanu Ave., Kahului.

Created by the Legislature in 1994, ADC is tasked with replacing and repurposing lands, irrigation systems and other agricultural assets left idle after the closure of sugar and pineapple operations statewide. The Maui meeting comes as the agency finalizes its statewide strategic plan, setting clear priorities for the next one, five and 10 years.

The plan includes identifying agricultural lands for acquisition, strengthening diversified agriculture on former plantation lands and investing in infrastructure that delivers economic, environmental and community benefits. Earlier this summer, ADC’s board traveled to Kaua‘i to gather public input. There is a meeting on Hawai‘i Island scheduled for November.

Focus areas for Maui input

At the Maui meeting, the board will invite public testimony and input on:

• Strategic land acquisition opportunities.
  
• Infrastructure investments for farmers, including shared cold storage, warehouse facilities, processing capacity and aggregation hubs to reduce costs and improve market access.
  
• Building the next phase of Hawai‘i’s agribusiness value-added ecosystem. The Legislature has tasked ADC with conducting stakeholder research and strategic planning to expand food manufacturing and processing capacity throughout the state. The vision is to create facilities that take graduates of UH Maui College’s Food Innovation Center and other entrepreneurial training programs to the next level — moving beyond classroom learning and small-batch prototypes into commercial-scale production. This is the role of the planned Entrepreneur Product Manufacturing Facility (EPMF) in Wahiawā, designed as part of a broader O‘ahu Food Hub that also incorporates the Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center, Leeward Community College’s partnerships and the High-Pressure Processing (HPP) facility.

ADC Chair Jayson Watts says the Maui meeting underscores the urgency of building Hawai‘i’s food security: “Local food security is bigger than any one agency — it takes all of us. Farmers, educators, food industry leaders and community partners are collaborating with ADC to shape the future of Hawai‘i agriculture. It will take coordinated action — from infrastructure investment and farmer support, to education, innovation and market development — to move local agriculture forward and create a stronger, more resilient agricultural future for Hawai‘i,” Watts said.

Meli James, co-founder of Mana Up, a Hawai’i-based business accelerator, notes the importance of infrastructure investments: “Our companies are scaling because of the infrastructure ADC is investing in. Facilities like Wahiawā Value-Added and the HPP machine make it possible to extend shelf life, reach new markets and export Hawai‘i products globally,” she said.

James added that Maui has the same opportunity to build on UH Maui College’s Food Innovation Center by creating commercial-scale facilities that allow entrepreneurs to grow from prototypes into enterprises.

Context and complementary work

ADC is advancing the Entrepreneur Product Manufacturing Facility (EPMF) in Wahiawā as part of a broader O‘ahu Food Hub. This initiative is designed to give Hawai‘i food companies the ability to move beyond prototypes into commercial production. The Wahiawā EPMF serves as a footprint and proof of concept for the next phase of Hawai‘i’s agribusiness value-add ecosystem. The Maui community is invited to help ADC and the Legislature determine how that next phase should take shape — ensuring local farmers, entrepreneurs and food businesses have the facilities they need to scale and compete in both local and export markets.

Community members are encouraged to share ideas on where ADC can be most helpful on Maui — identifying priority lands for purchase, as well as infrastructure, innovation and value-add needs. 

Public testimony at the ADC board meeting

Public testimony will be welcome in person and in writing. Instructions, deadlines and livestream details will be provided once the agenda is finalized. An official Sunshine Law notice will be posted separately. For more information on ADC meeting dates/times and agendas, visit dbedt.hawaii.gov/adc/meetings/.

The public does not have to wait until the Oct. 16 meeting to provide input and can also engage with ADC now by emailing dbedt.adc@hawaii.gov or calling 808-586-0186.