Farming is not a lifestyle. It is not a rural ambience. Farming is first and foremost a business. And, like any other business, it must be profitable in order to be sustained.

The Important Agricultural Lands bill (House Bill 1640) passed by the 2005 Legislature and recently signed into law as Act 183 by Gov. Linda Lingle is truly landmark legislation — not because it fulfills a long-standing constitutional mandate, not because it says agriculture is a priority in this state, but because it actually begins the process of protecting Hawai'i's important agricultural lands.

Act 183 provides the framework for farmers to receive incentives and support in order to keep them farming and to ensure the preservation of Hawai'i's agriculture industry. Real agriculture. Not just agricultural lands, but agricultural businesses also.

For the first time, instead of focusing on implementing a 27-year-old solution to a 27-year-old problem, Act 183 acknowledges that the people of Hawai'i recognize the significant challenges that present-day farmers face and that they are willing to help them meet those challenges so that they can succeed, remain in business and keep lands in agriculture.

It realizes that you cannot force people to farm, but you can make it easier for them to do so.

The failure of agricultural enterprises is the predominant cause for the decline in the amount of land farmed in the state. Many attribute the decline to development and urban growth, but the statistics disagree. The number of acres urbanized pale in contrast to the number of acres removed from actual farming.

These agricultural enterprises had lands, but they did not succeed. They might have survived if they had financial and regulatory incentives that would have improved the economics of their businesses, improved their agricultural products or given them entrée to new markets. These are the types of opportunities that Act 183 can provide.

Farmers by no means are looking for a handout. Farmers are some of the hardest-working people in this state. But farming is a tough business, and farmers can benefit from the same kind of support provided to other industries valued by the people of Hawai'i such as tourism and high-tech.

As we move forward with the implementation of Act 183, we will fight to ensure that the true intent of this law is fulfilled. We must be prepared to help those willing to farm and to keep lands in agriculture. This is about supporting agriculture, not about preventing development. If the focus is allowed to change, there will be many losers — the farmers, the state of Hawai'i and the general public.

There is much to do to complete the task carefully laid out in Act 183. There will be those who will want to make changes before the process has been completed. We urge you to give the law a fair chance to work, to produce results.

It's easy to criticize the performance of something that hasn't been allowed to prove itself. But please keep in mind that to us farmers, this is not a just an "issue," this is our livelihoods. We are the true stakeholders, and we ask that everyone stay the course and keep agriculture in the forefront as we proceed to fulfill the mandate of Act 183.

Those of you who have long espoused a love for agriculture, it's now time to show up.

Dean Okimoto is president of the Hawai'i Farm Bureau Federation.