A. Enhance the Competitiveness of U.S. Specialty Crops To be eligible for an award, the project(s) must enhance the competitiveness of Hawaii’s specialty crops in either domestic or foreign markets. Project areas may include, but are not limited to, the following issues affecting the specialty crop industry: Increasing the production of specialty crops to replace specialty crops that are imported Increasing child and adult nutritional knowledge and consumption of specialty crops. Increasing Sustainability (for this solicitation, sustainable agriculture is the production of specialty crops using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, and human communities) Enhancing food safety Developing new and improved seed varieties Improving efficiency and reducing the costs of distribution systems Assisting all entities in the specialty crop distribution chain in developing “Good Agricultural Practices”, “Good Handling Practices”, “Good Manufacturing Practices”, and in cost-share arrangements for funding audits of such systems for small farmers, packers and processors. Enhancing the competitiveness of Hawaii specialty crops that have cultural and geographic relevance. B. Benefit More Than One Product or Organization Proposals must show how the project potentially impacts and produces measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single organization, institution, or individual. Funds will not be awarded for projects that provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual. Single organizations, institutions, and individuals are encouraged to participate as project partners. The following are examples of acceptable and unacceptable projects: Examples of Unacceptable Projects A company requests funds to purchase starter plants or equipment used to plant, cultivate, and grow a specialty crop for the purpose of making a profit, or to expand production of a single business. A company requests funds to purchase locally grown specialty crops to be processed into a valueadded product for the purpose of making a profit or to expand production of a single business. Examples of Acceptable Projects A university requests funding to conduct field trial research on the feasibility of planting, cultivating, and growing a specialty crop in a particular area, the results of which can be shared with many growers throughout the state. A single grower requests funds to demonstrate the viability of organic small fruit production and partners with Cooperative Extension to publicize the working model of diversification to other regional growers. A single company requests funds to provide a viable pollination alternative to specialty crop stakeholders in a region, that currently does not have any.
