Kamehameha Schools’ Food Systems initiative aims to grow healthy and accessible food in Hawai‘i, to feed Hawai‘i and beyond. Hānai i ke keiki, ola ka lāhui: Nurture the child, and the lāhui thrives.
Desired state
As our contribution towards growing Hawai‘i’s food systems, KS will engage in partnerships to increase the productivity and resiliency of agricultural related businesses on KS ‘āina and build consumer interest in locally grown foods and services. This will also create education and career opportunities for Native Hawaiians, farmers, and agribusiness leaders in ‘ōiwi worldview.
Environmentally and economically sustainable food production is a meaningful component of the Hawaiian culture, a diversified economy, and overall well-being of Hawai‘i’s people.
Outcomes
Increase production of and access to healthy, affordable, local food for all
Strengthened food value chain from farm to table
Grow and support indigenous crops and native farming to increase food supply aligned with environmental stewardship of our natural resources
Foster a resilient economy with new jobs, training, and career pathways in food and agriculture
Advance sustainable production, profitability, and collaboration of KS agriculture and commercial real-estate
Strategy
From farm to table, KS is a part of the entire food value chain and plays a unique leadership role in supporting a resilient food system in Hawai‘i. As a part of this work, Kamehameha Schools has created a new $10 million Food Systems Fund, focused on investments within Hawai‘i to support food production, distribution and aggregation, processing, purchasing, consumption, and solving food waste challenges. The fund, which sits within our Hawai‘i Targeted Investment Fund, targets both financial returns on investment as well as broader impacts to local jobs and career pathways, and economic multiplier effects on community.
Our three focus areas in food systems are:
Supply (ho‘onui) → Distribution (ho‘ohui) → Demand (makemake)
Supply (ho‘onui): Targeted increase in production
Scale farmers to grow more food for local and export markets, focusing on specific products to meet demand.
Supply (ho‘onui): Targeted increase in production
Scale farmers to grow more food for local and export markets, focusing on specific products to meet demand.
Distribution (ho‘ohui): Connecting product to consumer
Invest in emerging, innovative models of aggregation, processing, distribution, and retail to deliver food to consumers. KS will also support increasing its institutional purchasing for its educational campuses and programs.
Distribution (ho‘ohui): Connecting product to consumer
Invest in emerging, innovative models of aggregation, processing, distribution, and retail to deliver food to consumers. KS will also support increasing its institutional purchasing for its educational campuses and programs.
Demand (makemake): Stimulating consumer demand
Consumers are engaged and motivated to buy local because they feel connected to the farmers, have easy access, enjoy competitive pricing, and crave ‘ono local products! KS will partner with collaborators to educate community on eating local.
Demand (makemake): Stimulating consumer demand
Consumers are engaged and motivated to buy local because they feel connected to the farmers, have easy access, enjoy competitive pricing, and crave ‘ono local products! KS will partner with collaborators to educate community on eating local.
Farmers and producers
KS stewards more than 181,000 acres of agricultural land across Hawai‘i that produces nearly 19 million pounds of food annually. Farmers on KS land grow a variety of vegetables, orchards, and specialty crops and raise livestock. Learn more about our agricultural tenants and food producers below.
Hawaii Mac Nut Company
Mana ‘Ōlena and the ‘Ulu Co-op
In the news
Learn more about KS farmers and producers as well as our work to grow our local food system.
The Communications Group and ʻĀina Pauahi team won six awards, including the highest honor: The Best of Show at this year’s Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) – Hawai’i Chapter Koa Anvil Awards.
Feed The Hunger Fund this week announced $260,000 in awards to three small-scale food entrepreneurs as part of a financial collaboration with Hawai‘i Pacific Health and Kamehameha Schools totaling more than $1 million. Hawaiʻi Pacific Health and Kamehameha Schools each provided $525,000, mainly in loans, to Feed The Hunger Fund, which helps create access to opportunity and funding for greater food security and sustainability.
In the ʻili of Waipao in Koʻolaupoko, Papahana Kuaola, a non-profit that stewards and cultivates this ʻili was the site for ʻAha ʻAina, Poi for the People – a fundraiser and benefit for Kamehameha Schools Mahiʻai Match-up and the Mahiʻai Scholarship. The event was a recipe for success: Growing food, farmers, and food system entrepreneurs to improve food security for Hawaiʻi.
