The Future of Food & Agriculture in Hawaiʻi Speaker Series
Speaker Series Attendees since 2023
Future of Food and Agriculture in Hawaii Speaker Series brings thought-leaders, academics, community leaders, state officials and practitioners from across the state and the nation into a dialogue on “the future of food and agriculture in Hawai‘i.”The series intends to generate opportunities for community dialogue among a diverse audience, thereby facilitating the development of a common understanding, vision and plan of action for achieving a healthy, equitable, resilient and sustainable food system for Hawai‘i.
The Future of Food and Agriculture in Hawaii is a joint project of Civil Beat, the Hawai’i Institute for Sustainable Community Food Systems at the University of Hawai’i – West O’ahu, and the UH Better Tomorrow Speaker Series. These events are made possible through generous support from the Kellogg Foundation. BTSS is a joint venture of the Hawaii Community Foundation, Kamehameha Schools, The Queen’s Health Systems and UH, with support from the College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources and the Ulupono Initiative. Civil Beat’s agricultural and food security reporting is funded in part by grants from the Stupski Foundation, Ulupono Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.
Presented by The Hawaiʻi Institute for Sustainable Community Food Systems at University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu, Honolulu Civil Beat, UH Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, and Waiwai Collective, this series is meant to generate key opportunities for community dialogue among a diverse audience, aiming to achieve a healthy, equitable, resilient and sustainable food system for Hawaiʻi.
3/28/24: sustainable food policies in the 2024 Legislative Session
The panel event, entitled Pesticides & Public Health explored the scientific evidence of the public health risks of pesticide exposure and its implications for Hawaiʻi communities and featured Rosana Hernandez Weldon PhD, MPH, Associate Specialist at UH Manoa Office of Public Health Studies, Fern Holland, HAPA community organizer and environmental scientist and Maui County Council Member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez (Molokaʻi).
10/25/24 The future of Agriculture in Hawaiʻi in the Era of Climate Change
The panel event, entitled Pesticides & Public Health explored the scientific evidence of the public health risks of pesticide exposure and its implications for Hawaiʻi communities and featured Rosana Hernandez Weldon PhD, MPH, Associate Specialist at UH Manoa Office of Public Health Studies, Fern Holland, HAPA community organizer and environmental scientist and Maui County Council Member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez (Molokaʻi).
2023 Recordings
12/21/23: Pesticides & public Health panel discussion
The panel event, entitled Pesticides & Public Health explored the scientific evidence of the public health risks of pesticide exposure and its implications for Hawaiʻi communities and featured Rosana Hernandez Weldon PhD, MPH, Associate Specialist at UH Manoa Office of Public Health Studies, Fern Holland, HAPA community organizer and environmental scientist and Maui County Council Member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez (Molokaʻi).
10/19/23: Disaster Preparedness and Food System Resilience in Hawaii: Best Practices and Lessons Learned from the Summer of Extreme Weather
The Maui fires exposed Hawaiʻi’s vulnerability to extreme climate change-induced weather events, once again raising questions over how disaster-ready the state is. This panel discussion will highlight the needs and strategies for building greater food system resilience and disaster preparedness for Hawaiʻi.
4/21/23: Taste of Tourism: Can The Visitor Industry Transform Hawaiʻi’s Food System?
Featured Speakers: Dexter Kishida, Food Security & Sustainability Program Manager, Office of Climate Change, Sustainability & Resilience, City & County of Honolulu. Pomai Weigert, AgBusiness Consultant with GoFarm Hawaiʻi, and advisor for the Hawaiʻi Agritourism Association. Stewart Yerton, Reporter, Honolulu Civil Beat
11/11/22: NHPI Health Inequities: Root Causes & Systemic Solutions.
The second installment of our Future Of Food series provides an overview of the social and cultural determinants of health for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and their current health status. Examples of successful and culturally responsive health promotion programs for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders were discussed. Featured speakers are Joseph Keaweʻaimoku Kaholokula, Ph.D. and Marie Kainoa Fialkowski Revilla, PhD, MS, RDN, LD, IBC, hosted by Civil Beat Reporter, Anita Hofschneider.
9/16/22: Root Causes and Systemic solutions
Food Insecurity in Hawaiʻi: Understanding Root Causes & Systemic Solutions is the first installment of a series meant to generate key opportunities for community dialogue among a diverse audience, aiming to achieve a healthy, equitable, resilient, and sustainable food system for Hawaiʻi. Featured speakers: Amy Marvin, President and CEO of Hawaiʻi Foodbank Catherine Pirkle, Associate Professor in Health Policy and Management at UH Mānoa
