New grant supports land conservation and local food production
Feb 11, 2025
Ulupono Initiative is excited to announce a new $200,000 grant award to The Trust for Public Land (TPL) to support its Sustainable Hawai‘i Program. This grant, provided through the Ulupono Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, adds to more than $65 million in past support the organization has leveraged to protect more than 14,000 acres of land.
TPL’s mission aligns with the state’s goal of doubling local food production by the year 2030. TPL recognizes that one of the key challenges to increasing food production is affordable, long-term agricultural land availability.
“This work is about more than just land — it’s about strengthening Hawai‘i’s food security, supporting local farmers, and preserving cultural connections to ‘āina,” said TPL State Director Lea Hong. “With Ulupono’s continued partnership, we can expand these efforts, leverage greater funding, and secure lasting solutions for agricultural sustainability.”
The new grant directly addresses the land issue and empowers the Hawai‘i Sustainable Program to acquire an additional 481 acres of agricultural land through fee-simple acquisitions and agricultural conservation easements. Having more land for agriculture use will ensure it is being dedicated to farming and ranching in perpetuity.
In addition to securing working lands for future generations, the award will allow TPL to leverage more than $17.8 million in public and private funding, multiplying Ulupono’s impact. Securing funds from federal, state, county, and private sources will guarantee long-term protection for key agricultural lands, which includes Maunawili Valley, Oʻahu’s North Shore, and Hilo.
In alignment with TPL’s s strategy to increase affordable, long-term land access for farmers by securing agricultural conservation easements and developing strong public-private partnerships, the new funding will allow development on farmland to be permanently restricted, protecting it from being sold for residential or commercial usage. It will also lower costs for farmers, allowing them to lease or purchase agricultural land and strengthen partnerships among government and private entities.
TPL’s and its Sustainable Hawaiʻi Program are helping farmers and ranchers feed communities while stewarding the land as Hawaiʻi reduces its reliance on imported food and protects farmland from development.
Photo Courtesy: TPL and Arna Johnson