Exploring ways to achieve zero hunger, equity, resilience, and opportunities in Hawai‘i’s food system were among the priorities at the 3rd Annual Hawai‘i Food System Summit, presented by the Transforming Hawai‘i’s Food Systems Together (THFST) initiative on Dec. 9 and 10 at the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu.
THFST is a statewide and participatory food system planning initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and others, that seeks to build statewide capacity and pave the way for a more robust, sustainable and resilient food system, especially in times of crisis. THFST renewed its calls for collective action to enhance food security and sustainability across the state at its annual summit.
“Recognizing food as a human right transcends political and economic ideologies,” said Dr. Albie Miles, a THFST founder and co-director, summit co-organizer, and associate professor of Sustainable Community Food Systems at UH West O‘ahu. “It speaks to the core values of human equality, aloha, and kuleana that define us as a moral society.”
About 200 participants from accross Hawai‘i convened each day on the UH West O‘ahu campus at the two-day event. The summit brought together food systems and agriculture professionals, policymakers, food access coordinators, non-governmental organization (NGO) and community leaders, kūpuna, and youth to strengthen cross-sector partnerships, discuss transformative policies, and drive systemic change aimed at alleviating the high rate of chronic household food insecurity, according to a press release from THFST.
“The consequences of hunger extend far beyond the dinner table — it impacts health, education, and the very fabric of our communities,” said Gov. Josh Green via video on the opening day. “Across our state, we are seeing incredible efforts to address food insecurity from community gardens and food drives, to innovative public-private partnerships. This summit is a crucial step in achieving that vision.”
According to the release, summit attendees expressed support for establishing Universal Free School Meals programs in Hawai‘i public schools, expanding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to more households, and scaling up “Food is Medicine” programs that integrate food and nutrition into healthcare. Participants also discussed the urgent need for progress on key food and agricultural policies during the 2025 legislative session.
Miles noted that in addition to learning about the dire state of food insecurity in Hawai‘i and important pathways to its resolution, attendees learned about the concept and strategies for building food system resilience and disaster preparedness, and received an update on the interagency food system working group and plan by Dr. Amanda Shaw and the Hawai‘i Deptartment of Agriculture.
The THFST release stated that Senate Resolution 111, adopted during the 2024 legislative session, requested the state Department of Agriculture establish a food systems working group to develop an interagency food system plan for the state. Summit attendees provided input on priority topics for the statewide food systems working group to incorporate into the interagency food system plan, which is expected to be completed by the Department of Agriculture in 2025.
More information about the 2024 Hawai‘i Food System Summit can be found at www.transforminghawaiifoodsystem.org.
To see photos from the event, visit the UH West O‘ahu Flickr album Hawaiʻi Food System Summit 2024. For more highlights and takeaways, read the Post-Summit Recap email, watch the 2024 Hawai‘i Food System Summit Highlight Video, or visit the December 2024 Summit Recap page.