Transforming Hawaiʻi’s Food System Together

“Food is the single strongest lever to optimize human health and environmental sustainability on Earth”
The Eat Lancet Commission
Transforming Hawaiʻi’s Food System Together

Building A More Robust, Sustainable, Equitable And Resilient Food System, Especially In Times Of Crisis

Transforming Hawaiʻi’s Food System Together is a collaborative and multi-sectoral food system change initiative that seeks to convene key stakeholders, conduct applied research, articulate policy and planning recommendations and build statewide capacity to achieve a more economically robust, sustainable, equitable and resilient food system for Hawaiʻi.

What is a Food System?

A food system is the socio-ecological system that encompasses all the drivers, activities and resources that go into producing, distributing, consuming food and waste disposal. The food system intersects with aspects of public health, culture, society, economics, public policy, and the environment.

Our Primary Objectives

Food System Mapping, Social Network Analysis, Vulnerability Assessment and Policy Analysis comprise a set of Hawaiʻi knowledge products that will inform the framing and content of the statewide policy and strategy.

Design, coordinate and deliver an Integrated State Food Policy Framework and Food System Resilience and Equity Strategy that is inclusive of indigenous and community producer perspectives.

Support the facilitation and participation of public and private entities to amplify purchasing and procurement of local, sustainable and equitably produced food.

Objective 1

Generate applied research and evidence to inform policy and strategy

Objective 2​

Develop an Integrated State Food Policy Framework and a Food System Resilience and Equity Strategy

Objective 3​

Build State capacity for institutional purchasing of local and sustainable foods.

Our Collective Impact

September 2021 to Present
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Key Food System Issues

Key Food System Issues

Our Initiative

The Transforming Hawaiʻi’s Food System Together initiative is uniquely poised to dismantle existing silos and unite key food system partners to craft a common way forward, bringing Hawai‘i one step closer to food security. A more sustainable, equitable and resilient food system for Hawai‘i is critical to our future and to recapture a portion of the $8 billion dollars annually spent on imported foods

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PHASE I: RESEARCH & FINDINGS​

Our Knowledge Products

The Transforming Hawaiʻi’s Food Systems Together initiative has conducted a series of applied research projects to inform policy and planning recommendations and build statewide capacity to achieve a more economically robust, sustainable, equitable and resilient food system for Hawaiʻi. The key findings of these Knowledge Products will inform the development of an Integrated State Food Policy Framework and Food System Resiliency and Equity Strategy for Hawaiʻi. 

A visual way of showing complex relationships and interdependencies allowing us to identify leverage points or opportunities for collective action.

Analysis of the current food system in Hawaiʻi to determine who holds influence in the food and agricultural system at different scales, identify key pathways and to explore key connections that are currently lacking.

Catalog and describe the current food policy landscape in Hawaiʻi and highlight on-going efforts and opportunities for collaboration. The analysis will help identify key structural obstacles to achieving the food systems related UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Identify key points of vulnerability to household food insecurity and the risks faced from future natural disasters or economic shocks. Assessments will include the identification of capacity gaps of the emergency feeding system of Hawaiʻi. Priorities for developing a more resilient and equitable food system will be identified.

Hoʻomāhele Video Series Thumbnail images

Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA) aims to expose network members to emerging conversations and movements around food systems and food sovereignty through the the perpetuation of their cultural practices.

Public and private food service institutions should participate in transforming food systems toward greater public health, planetary and community well-being, by utilizing their significant market demand in ways that foster a localized food economy supportive of fair labor and sustainable farming practices. 

The Hawaiʻi Good Food Alliance (HGFA) is a state-wide diverse network of community-based food systems practitioners working collectively to rebuild thriving community food systems. Their mission statement:

We join together—with a sense of urgency—to raise community voice and support one another in the belief that each and every person in Hawaiʻi can share in healthy, locally produced food.

This toolkit provides a centralized synthesis of 25 state- and city-level food systems plans and charters from across the United States. Born out of a project to inform food systems planning in Hawai’i with support from the The Hawai’i Institute for Sustainable Community Food Systems at the at the University of Hawai’i’ – West O’ahu. These resources are intended to help future food systems transformation efforts organize their initiatives and envision change. To do so, our databases and analyses focus on the how and what of food systems planning efforts across the country.

A visual way of showing complex relationships and interdependencies allowing us to identify leverage points or opportunities for collective action.

Analysis of the current food system in Hawaiʻi to determine who holds influence in the food and agricultural system at different scales, identify key pathways and to explore key connections that are currently lacking.

Catalog and describe the current food policy landscape in Hawaiʻi and highlight on-going efforts and opportunities for collaboration. The analysis will help identify key structural obstacles to achieving the food systems related UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Identify key points of vulnerability to household food insecurity and the risks faced from future natural disasters or economic shocks. Assessments will include the identification of capacity gaps of the emergency feeding system of Hawaiʻi. Priorities for developing a more resilient and equitable food system will be identified.

Hoʻomāhele Video Series Thumbnail images

Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA) aims to expose network members to emerging conversations and movements around food systems and food sovereignty through the the perpetuation of their cultural practices.

Public and private food service institutions should participate in transforming food systems toward greater public health, planetary and community well-being, by utilizing their significant market demand in ways that foster a localized food economy supportive of fair labor and sustainable farming practices. 

The Hawaiʻi Good Food Alliance (HGFA) is a state-wide diverse network of community-based food systems practitioners working collectively to rebuild thriving community food systems. Their mission statement:

We join together—with a sense of urgency—to raise community voice and support one another in the belief that each and every person in Hawaiʻi can share in healthy, locally produced food.

System Mapping: Hawaiʻi’s Food System

A visual way of showing complex relationships and interdependencies allowing us to identify leverage points or opportunities for collective action.

Social Network Analysis

Analysis of the current food system in Hawaiʻi to determine who holds influence in the food and agricultural system at different scales, identify key pathways and to explore key connections that are currently lacking.

Comprehensive State Policy Analysis

Catalog and describe the current food policy landscape in Hawaiʻi and highlight on-going efforts and opportunities for collaboration. The analysis will help identify key structural obstacles to achieving the food systems related UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Food System Vulnerability Assessment

Identify key points of vulnerability to household food insecurity and the risks faced from future natural disasters or economic shocks. Assessments will include the identification of capacity gaps of the emergency feeding system of Hawaiʻi. Priorities for developing a more resilient and equitable food system will be identified.

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Our Partners

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Transforming Hawaiʻi’s Food System Together

Building a more robust, sustainable, equitable and resilient food system, especially in times of crisis.

Transforming Hawaiʻi’s Food System Together is a collaborative and multi-sectoral food system change initiative that seeks to convene key stakeholders, conduct applied research, articulate policy and planning recommendations and build statewide capacity to achieve a more economically robust, sustainable, equitable and resilient food system for Hawaiʻi.

WHAT WE DO​

Our Primary Objectives

Food System Mapping, Social Network Analysis, Vulnerability Assessment and Policy Analysis comprise a set of Hawaiʻi knowledge products that will inform the framing and content of the statewide policy and strategy.

Design, coordinate and deliver an Integrated State Food Policy Framework and Food System Resilience and Equity Strategy that is inclusive of indigenous and community producer perspectives.

Support the facilitation and participation of public and private entities to amplify purchasing and procurement of local, sustainable and equitably produced food.

Objective 1

Generate applied research and evidence to inform policy and strategy

Objective 2​

Develop an Integrated State Food Policy Framework and a Food System Resilience and Equity Strategy

Objective 3​

Build State capacity for institutional purchasing of local and sustainable foods.

Transforming Hawaiʻi’s Food System Together

Building A More Robust, Sustainable, Equitable And Resilient Food System, Especially In Times Of Crisis.

Food systems will continue to play a defining role in global environmental change, human welfare and socio-economic stability.

United Nations

Transforming Hawaiʻi’s Food System Together is a collaborative and multi-sectoral food system change initiative that seeks to convene key stakeholders, conduct applied research, articulate policy and planning recommendations and build statewide capacity to achieve a more economically robust, sustainable, equitable and resilient food system for Hawaiʻi.

Opportunities for Food System Transformation

Workforce

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Research & Policy

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Education

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Our Collective Impact

Users
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