The Story Behind KAPP
The Kuleana AgTech Pathways Program (KAPP) was developed through the Food+ Policy Incubator as a response to a question that emerged through community work, education, and policy research:
How can we better prepare Hawaiʻi's next generation to steward ʻāina while equipping them with the technical skills needed to solve today's challenges?
The idea for KAPP grew from teaching Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through a place-based lens, where mapping became more than a technical skill. It became a way for students to better understand their communities and tell meaningful stories through data. Working with students across Hawaiʻi, we explored topics ranging from gentrification and environmental justice to ocean acidification, local food access, and reef-safe sunscreen initiatives. Students learned to combine maps, data, and lived experience to communicate issues affecting their communities in ways that were both technically rigorous and deeply rooted in place. These experiences revealed a larger opportunity. While Hawaiʻi increasingly needs professionals skilled in agricultural technology, GIS, remote sensing, drones, precision agriculture, and environmental data, there are few coordinated pathways connecting students to these careers while remaining grounded in stewardship, food systems, and community resilience. KAPP was created to help bridge that gap by connecting education, workforce development, and agriculture through place-based, technology-driven learning that prepares students to care for both people and place.
What KAPP Would Do
1) Create Regional AgTech Hubs:
Establish county-based hubs that connect schools, colleges, farms, and industry partners while providing shared equipment, mentorship, and technical resources.
2) Agricultural Technology Training:
Provide students with skills in:
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Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
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Drone operations & remote sensing
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Precision agriculture
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Climate-smart agriculture
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Data collection & automation
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Systems-based land stewardship
3) Work-Based Learning:
Create internships, apprenticeships, and supervised agricultural experiences with farms, loʻi, community gardens, and agricultural organizations.
4) Dual Credit & Stackable Credentials:
Develop clear pathways from HIDOE Career & Technical Education programs into University of Hawaiʻi certificates, degrees, and industry-recognized credentials.
Why this matters
Proposal: Senate Bill 2320 (SB2320)
Focus: Agriculture + Geospatial Sciences + Workforce Development
Scope: Statewide Pilot Program
KAPP positions agriculture as a high-skill, high-demand sector rather than solely field labor.
Geospatial capacity strengthens:
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Farm efficiency
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Water management
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Wildfire preparedness
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Climate adaptation
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Disaster response coordination
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Public planning infrastructure
The same spatial competencies used in agriculture are essential in emergency response and civic resilience.
Place-Based Foundation
KAPP integrates cultural grounding with technical training. Students would be paired with local farms or community agriculture sites to complete applied capstone projects such as:
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Irrigation mapping and water-use optimization
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Wildfire risk buffer analysis
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Soil health dashboards
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Farm logistics and market access mapping
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Pest monitoring and reporting systems
This model ensures learning remains rooted in Hawaiʻi’s land, culture, and community needs.
The Challenges Addressed
Aging Agricultural Workforce
Hawaiʻi’s farmers are among the oldest in the nation, creating succession risk across the agricultural sector.
Uneven Education Access
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) pathways exist in select HIDOE schools but lack consistent statewide scale, technical specialization, and integration with emerging AgTech skills.
Import Dependence
Hawaiʻi remains heavily reliant on imported food, increasing vulnerability during supply chain disruptions and disasters.
Farm Contraction
Between 2017 and 2022, the number of farms declined, and farmland acreage decreased statewide.
From Incubator Idea to State Legislation...
Introduced as SB2320
Passed Senate (SD1)
Passed House (HD1)
Received unanimous support in every committee hearing
Advanced through Agriculture, Higher Education, Finance, and Conference Committee
Reached Conference Committee during the final days of the legislative session
The bill ultimately did not become law during the 2026 session
2026 Session
2026 Legislative Overview
KAPP was developed through the Food+ Policy Incubator, a 14-week policy innovation program that guides participants through transforming food system challenges into research-based, community-rooted policy proposals.
Following stakeholder outreach, systems analysis, and proposal development, KAPP was introduced during the 2026 Hawaiʻi State Legislative Session through two Senate measures establishing the Kuleana AgTech Pathways Pilot Program.
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SB2168, introduced by Senators Richards and Chang, served as the initial vehicle for the proposal but did not advance beyond its committee referrals.
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SB2320, introduced by Senators Gabbard, Chang, Hashimoto, Kanuha, McKelvey, Richards, and San Buenaventura, carried forward the core proposal and advanced through the Legislature to Conference Committee.
SB2320 proposed establishing the Kuleana AgTech Pathways Program within the University of Hawaiʻi System through collaboration with the Department of Education, Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Agribusiness Development Corporation, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and community partners. The measure also included legislative reporting requirements and an appropriation to support statewide implementation.
Although SB2320 did not become law during the 2026 legislative session, advancing to Conference Committee demonstrated broad legislative support for expanding agricultural education, workforce development, and resilience across Hawaiʻi.
Looking Ahead...
Although SB2320 did not become law during the 2026 legislative session, the need for stronger agricultural education and workforce pathways remains. Hawaiʻi's biennium legislative process provides opportunities to continue refining proposals and building support for future legislative action.
In the meantime, Food+ Policy remains committed to advancing the vision behind KAPP by continuing to engage with stakeholders across the state. Through ongoing conversations with students, educators, farmers, potential regional hub partners, the University of Hawaiʻi System, the Hawaiʻi Department of Education, legislators, and community organizations, we are working to strengthen the proposal, address implementation challenges, and ensure the program reflects the needs of the communities it is designed to serve. KAPP has always been envisioned as a collaborative effort. By continuing to build partnerships and gather feedback, we hope to further close the gap between innovative ideas and practical implementation, creating a stronger, more resilient pathway for Hawaiʻi's future agricultural workforce.
KAPP White Paper
This white paper presents a research-based proposal for the Kuleana AgTech Pathways (KAPP) program. It examines Hawaiʻi’s agricultural workforce challenges, analyzes structural gaps in the state’s education-to-career pipeline, and outlines a coordinated strategy to build long-term resilience through agricultural technology and civic infrastructure training. It is designed to inform policymakers, educators, agency leaders, and community partners about both the urgency of the issue and the viability of the solution.
Advocacy Resources
Community voices play an important role in shaping public policy. Whether KAPP is reintroduced in a future legislative session or similar workforce development initiatives are proposed, sharing your perspective can help demonstrate community support for agricultural education, workforce development, and food system resilience.
The template below provides a starting point that can be adapted for future hearings or public comment opportunities.
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