About North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership
The North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership (North Shore EVP) was formed in 2015 as a result of a comprehensive, community-based economic analysis that included community outreach events where community members, business owners and government leaders helped identify regional opportunities for economic growth, especially in the areas of agriculture and tourism, the largest economic drivers in the region. North Shore EVP was formed to provide the leadership and organization needed to implement the community’s vision. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, North Shore EVP is uniquely positioned to strengthen regional communication and collaboration, drive community engagement across Oʻahu’s North Shore while building new civic leadership with each project we undertake.
Our Projects
North Shore EVP is focused on driving civic and civil leadership on the North Shore. Through analysis of regional economic data, we engage the community to identify opportunities that can contribute to economic growth and the creation of new jobs from existing assets and resources. All of our projects are community-driven and are sensitive to our quality of life and environmental and cultural values.
GroupGAP
Our Projects
Events
GroupGAP Cohort Application
The application form is form fillable below or can be found here for download to your computer. A Chinese version can be found here. A Thai version can be found here. Once completed download to your computer and email it to info@nsevp.org
An informative presentation about the Hawaii GroupGAP program. Find out what GAP is, how the North Shore EVP team works to help farmers achieve certification, and what producers need to do to prepare to participate in the program. Featuring guest speakers from Fresh Point and Ke Alaula Farms. Click on the version below and you will be directed to our YouTube channel.
Current Happenings
North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership is hiring!
Job position: Food Safety Specialist
Summary: North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership (North Shore EVP) is searching for a full-time Food Safety Specialist to join our team.
The Food Safety Specialist (FSS) will support the dissemination of food safety regulations, policies, and procedures for North Shore EVP’s USDA GroupGAP program (Hawaiʻi GroupGAP), primarily through in person, on-site interactions with group members. The FSS will be responsible for providing technical expertise and outreach for Hawaiʻi GroupGAP and be knowledgeable of other regulations that pertain to USDA Harmonized GAP and HGAP Plus+ (HGAP/+) and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Through visits to group operations, facilitating training classes, and coordinating internal and external USDA audits, the FSS will ensure that our producer farms are committed to the highest standards of food safety, social responsibility and environmental stewardship. The FSS may also provide similar assistance to food hub operators and their supplier farms.
The Food Safety Specialist (FSS) will advocate for advancing the interests of Hawaiʻi GroupGAP at the farm, community, and regulatory levels. They will be responsible for developing and maintaining positive community and business relationships and must be able to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders. The FSS will also engage with relevant councils, huis, roundtables and committees as needed and will spend significant time in the field. The FSS reports to the Food Safety Director.
*Note: North Shore EVP seeks a candidate physically located on Hawaiʻi Island.
North Shore EVP does not maintain a physical office location, as this position is mostly remote (work-from-home). However, regular in-person site visits to member operations across Hawaiʻi Island (and possibly other islands) are a core responsibility of the role. The role requires a high level of
participation in regular videoconference meetings and access to a reliable internet connection. Reliable transportation and the ability to travel locally across Hawaiʻi Island (and other neighboring islands) are required. Relocation support is not available.
To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and resume, including three professional references, to info@nsevp.org.
For full job description or to download the PDF version: Food Safety Specialist
A Quiet Redesign Helped Hawaiʻi Farms Get Past The Paperwork
By Will Bailey, Honolulu Civil Beat (Jan. 14, 2026). Read the full article on Civil Beat.
Hawaiʻi says it wants to support small farmers and strengthen local food security, but Will Bailey argues that one of the most stubborn obstacles wasn’t land, water, or labor—it was paperwork. Food-safety certification, a routine cost of doing business for large farms, often functioned like a locked door for small producers because the process assumed they had spare time, staff support, and reliable language access. Without that certification, farmers could be shut out of schools, distributors, and other institutional buyers regardless of how good their produce was.
What changed in recent years, Bailey writes, wasn’t the standard—it was the structure around it. GroupGAP (Group Good Agricultural Practices) flips the old model by letting a central organization carry much of the compliance system—shared manuals, procedures, internal oversight—while individual farms still meet the same requirements and still undergo audits. In Hawaiʻi, the North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership built the state’s first USDA-recognized GroupGAP program for diversified fruits and vegetables in 2019, and it has since trained multiple cohorts and supported more than 50 farms across the islands—representing a sizable share of Hawaiʻi’s small farms certified under harmonized standards. The payoff is concrete: certification can finally unlock wholesale pathways, and even modest access can add meaningful annual revenue for a small farm—less “growth theater,” more survival.
Upcoming Events
Our upcoming events or for a full list of our events please visit our Events Calendar.