Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that the Hawaiʻi Island food bank, The Food Basket, Inc., will receive $5 million in Nutrition Incentive Grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue to build capacity in the DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks program.

In a press release Senator Hirono said, “the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the importance of investing in Hawaii’s local food systems, the DA BUX program gets Hawaiʻi-grown produce from farms to those who need it at an affordable price, and The Food Basket has done incredible work growing the program. I look forward to seeing their continued success with this investment.”

The DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks program works with 81 participating retailers all across the state to double the purchasing power of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants by providing Hawaiʻi grown fruits and vegetables at 50 percent of their normal cost. A 2019 USDA award allowed the DA BUX program to triple SNAP household access to participating food retailers. In addition, the program helps increase Hawaiʻi’s food security and supports local farmers by incentivizing program participants to buy local.