 Aloha, I'm Kaley Akina, president of the Grassroot Institute. When Governor Ige first announced his plan to double local food production, people wondered whether he was speaking broadly about general goals, much in the same way that political leaders talk about space exploration. But then he doubled down, and he repeated it, Hawaii will double local food production by 2020. Well, the governor did at least stop short of calling it his five-year plan, a good thing because he gave the state less than three years to accomplish this incredible turnaround. Maybe he just thinks the Soviets weren't ambitious enough. Or maybe he didn't allude to it as Hawaii's three-year plan because this exercise in central planning is all central and no plan. While the entire world spent the 20th century learning that agricultural production by government fiat was a bad and ineffective idea, Hawaii appears to have missed this memo. Thus, while the governor has blindly stated his intention to double food production, state agencies, farmers, and advocates are left with a few questions about how this can be accomplished. Questions like, shouldn't we do a little more research into the state of agriculture now? Or which crops are you thinking of? Or on what land? Or how shall we irrigate it? Well, where will the water come from? Well, the funny thing is that Grassroot Institute is among those who agree with the goal of increasing local food production, even while we critique the ham-handed way in which it's being pursued. What will elected officials learn that the best way to encourage growth is through the market, not government decree? It turns out that the best way to improve the state's agricultural sector is through less government involvement, not more. Why not let the free market help meet Hawaii's goal of increased food production? We could encourage investment in Hawaii by ending the interventionist economic policies that consistently get the state ranked as one of the worst in the nation to do business. That means reducing regulation and bureaucracy for Hawaii farmers. It also means looking seriously at the legal barriers that stifle innovation and creative expansion in the industry. Restrictive land use laws impinge on property rights and prevent creative solutions like increase in agritourism. Finally, there are some simple things the state can do to put money in the pockets of farmers, businesses, and the consumers who will make food production profitable in Hawaii. Things like supporting Jones Act reform to lower the cost of living and shipping and lowering taxes. The last thing Hawaii should do is attempt to govern its way to a stronger agricultural industry. It's good that Governor Ige wants to support farmers, but the best way to do so is by getting out of their way. Ehana Kako, let's work together. I'm Kaley Ikeena with the Grassroot Institute, aloha.