A state working group wants Hawaiʻi to improve its food reserves, support backyard farming and fill in the gaps in supply distribution to bolster its disaster response.
The state House of Representatives in September formed several working groups to explore legislative solutions to problems that have come to light since the deadly Lāhainā fire in August.
One group explored the availability and distribution of food, water, medicine and other supplies necessary following a disaster.
Hawaiʻi Foodbank President and CEO Amy Miller Marvin told the working group the organization has about 1 million pounds of food stored at any given time for the people it serves now, which lasts about three weeks.
She’s not clear how much food would be needed in a disaster, but it would need much more.
“We're thinking probably on the order of three to four times as much food would be useful, because if all of a sudden everyone is affected, right, our three-week reserve only will last us a couple of days because so many more people will have needs,” she told the working group on Wednesday.
“Our goal is to work together with HI-EMA (Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency), with the city and county to understand where food is not just in our reserves, but with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), with the retailers and with the distributors,” she added.
The working group’s recommendations would also attempt to address long-standing issues in Hawaiʻi’s food system, including its dependence on imports for supplies, its lack of support for local agriculture, and its poor supply distribution planning.
Some of the other recommendations from the working group include giving residents the right to grow food in their yards and encouraging the donation of hot food after disasters.
“The bigger issue at hand is the fragility of Hawaiʻi's food systems and their link to wildfire risk. The line of fire was a catastrophic event that had a profound impact on our community,” said Krizhna Bayudan, a Lāhainā resident and community organizer for Hawaiʻi Workers Center.
Food and agriculture stakeholders have asked for a more resilient food system in Hawaiʻi, which many say must include traditional practices.
“The situation underscores the importance of integrating traditional Hawaiian ahupuaʻa concepts back into our food systems as they were inherently sustainable and resilient. Legislation aimed at encouraging and preserving these traditional farming practices is vital to Lāhainā’s future,” Bayudan said.
