There seems to be no shortage of well-intentioned advice about how Hawaii can make agriculture better, but if Hawaii is truly serious about strengthening agriculture, policymakers must place increased production squarely in the center of the state’s ag policy.

Increased production means helping farmers across the state produce more ag products for both local consumption as well as export. Increased production means helping farmers overcome tough obstacles: from natural disasters and climate problems, to diseases and invasive species, and the high costs of running an ag operation.

It means implementing policies that take a holistic approach to growing our islands’ ag production, and allowing our farmers access to the resources, tools, know-how and technologies they need to retain healthy soil, use water wisely, manage insects and weeds, protect against diseases, grow quality plants and livestock, and deliver their ag products to consumers across the state and beyond.

In a nutshell, the state must support what’s essential to farming and be wary of proposals that seem appealing but do little or nothing for local farmers who are trying to grow more, export more, achieve greater economic stability, and keep our ag lands healthy and productive for future generations.

Two bills at the Legislature exemplify the difference between a proposed policy that promotes greater ag production and one that doesn’t.

House Bill 1326 goes straight to the heart of something that’s absolutely essential for farmers: a reliable supply of water. It’s truly unfortunate that this bill — which was shelved Thursday — has been badly misconstrued as some kind of criminal corporate conspiracy. Fundamentally, what HB 1326 aimed to do was give farming operations on multiple islands the breathing space they need to continue farming while working through a very time-consuming, complicated and legally complex situation involving water usage in Hawaii.

A tenant with a long-term lease has a more stable living situation than one with only a month-to-month rental agreement. Likewise, a farmer with no assurance of water next year, or the year after that, is less able to plan for the future and is at greater risk of losing his/her farming operation. That is why the state must take a longer-term view of ag policy and be willing to give farmers the time they need to succeed.

To be clear, HB 1326 was not a permanent fix and there’s much collaborative work that must be done to balance Hawaii’s long-term water needs. But HB 1326 did try to address an urgent and time-sensitive need to enable local ag production, at least for the next few years.

Another bill considered by legisators, HB 593, sought to allow large-scale solar operations on the state’s best lands for agriculture. These Class A ag lands are the most productive for local farming, with ideal soil and conditions for raising a variety of crops. However, HB 593 would put local ag production at risk of displacement by solar facilities, and would benefit energy companies at the expense of local farming. So, it was gratifying to see the bill deferred last week.

Energy is an important resource for everyone, but energy production should not come at the expense of ag production. A better, more strategic solution is needed to achieve the state’s energy and agricultural goals.

Hawaii’s quest to grow more food for local consumption, to reduce our state’s dependency on imports, to ensure a healthy agricultural future for our children and our children’s children – depend greatly on our ability to raise and grow agricultural goods on every major island across the state. It’s imperative that Hawaii remains laser-focused on supporting increased ag production to achieve that goal.

Warren Watanabe is the executive director of the Maui County Farm Bureau. He was a third-generation farmer for 35 years on the family farm established in 1939 in Kula, Maui.