HI SCR49

Requests the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to study Hawaii's food manufacturing strengths and identify strategic export markets for high-value, premium local products.

Requires the study to establish economic metrics defining high-value products, conduct cost-of-production analysis factoring in Hawaii's high energy, labor, and ingredient costs, and determine minimum profit margins for viable local food manufacturing.

Directs assessment of logistical and transportation barriers to strategic markets and proposes state-level solutions to address them.

Requests the University of Hawaii to update curriculum at the Maui Food Innovation Center and Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center to train entrepreneurs to engineer products for export-oriented markets.

Calls for collaboration between DBEDT, Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Agribusiness Development Corporation, and University of Hawaii to integrate findings into workforce development and business incubation programs.