Department of Agriculture & Biosecurity

The State Board of Agriculture, which was established on May 13, 1903 as the Board of Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry, then under the Territory of Hawai‘i, is charged with establishing broad operating policies for the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture. In July 2025, the name of the department was changed to Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) and the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture became the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity (BAB). The department is dedicated to the preservation and productive use of agricultural resources so as to assure a healthy and adequate food supply for Hawai‘i’s people, providing employment, maintaining a favorable balance of trade, and preserving the aesthetic quality of the Islands.

The BAB is an executive board consisting of ten members – one from each of the counties of Hawai‘i, Maui and Kaua‘i; three at-large members; the Chairperson of DAB; Chairperson of the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; and the Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience – University of Hawai‘i. The BAB members are appointed by the Governor of Hawai‘i and confirmed by the State Senate. The Chairperson of the BAB is also responsible for the day-to-day operation of the DAB.

Besides providing policy direction for the department, the board also exercises specific authority in such areas as granting permission for the importation of certain animal and plant species which, by regulation, requires such action.

The BAB meetings are open to the public and usually scheduled once a month. They are generally held on the island of O‘ahu with occasional meetings on the neighbor islands. List of upcoming board agenda and past board actions are available online.