Food Equity
No one in Hawaiʻi should ever go hungry. Period.
Food is a human right, not a privilege.
Equity in our food system means everyone in Hawaiʻi has access to healthy, affordable, and culturally meaningful food. But it means more than access. It means Hawaiʻi’s farmers have access to land, just wages, and sustainable practices. It demands community control over food systems — so the people who eat the food shape the policies that produce it.
This is not a failure of resources. It is a failure of policy.
Nearly one in three Hawaiʻi households struggles to put enough food on the table. In a state facing a relentless affordability crisis, hunger has become a quiet epidemic. Our food equity work focuses not just on expanding access to nutrition programs — but on leveraging them to build an inclusive food system that honors cultural values, supports fair pricing and land access, and promotes health and sustainability.
Feed every keiki, every day.
Universal school meals by 2030 so no child has to learn on an empty stomach. Better use of federal child nutrition programs — after-school suppers, breakfast, and summer meals — that Hawaiʻi has been leaving on the table.
Defend the safety net.
Protect SNAP from federal cuts that would devastate Hawaiʻi families. Lower barriers for kūpuna through the elderly-simplified application process (ESAP), and expand DA BUX so every SNAP dollar buys twice as much local produce.
Build community-controlled food systems.
Land access and just wages for local farmers. Cultural and traditional foods for the families who depend on them. Community control over the policies that shape what we grow, what we eat, and who decides.
Nearly
1 in 3 households can’t consistently afford food.
Hunger is a quiet epidemic in Hawaiʻi
Food insecurity touches every island and every age group. Keiki, kūpuna on fixed incomes, working families behind on rent, and people who’ve lost work — these are the communities most often skipping meals or stretching them thin.
Keiki in school
~165K students
Hawaiʻi ranks near the bottom of states in utilizing federal child-nutrition programs — leaving meals on the table.
Universal meals by 2030Kūpuna on SNAP
High enrollment barriers
Older adults face the steepest enrollment barriers. Hawaiʻi is implementing the elderly-simplified application process (ESAP) to lower them.
Many eligible, fewer enrolledWorking families
160K+ on SNAP
SNAP recipients in Hawaiʻi include working parents, caregivers, and people between jobs — not the stereotype.
Federal cuts would devastateLocal farmers
Land & wage access
Food equity means farmers have land, fair wages, and sustainable practices — not just consumers having access to food.
~90% of food still importedFeed, defend, build
Three areas where Hawaiʻi can close the food-security gap, protect the federal safety net from cuts, and build a community-controlled food system worthy of the islands.
Feed
When every keiki eats free, the stigma of needing help disappears, participation rises, and learning improves. Eight states have made meals universal — Hawaiʻi should be next. The path runs through public charter schools first, then a state-funded universal program by 2030, alongside better use of federal child-nutrition reimbursements.
- Universal school meals by 2030 Expand free school meal access to public charter schools, then establish a state-funded universal program for every Hawaiʻi student — no paperwork, no stigma, no cafeteria debt.
- State supplementary funding Close the gap between federal reimbursement rates and the true cost of feeding Hawaiʻi’s keiki. Federal rates haven’t kept pace with our cost of living — the state must make up the difference.
- Federal program utilization Increase Hawaiʻi’s participation in federal after-school suppers, breakfasts, and summer meals — programs we currently underuse compared to peer states.
“I’ve watched kids skip lunch because their family owed money to the cafeteria. No child should have to choose between learning and eating.” — DOE cafeteria manager, Oʻahu
Defend
The Trump administration is slashing SNAPSNAP — Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly food stamps). The federal program that helps lower-income households afford groceries. — the federal lifeline for over 160,000 Hawaiʻi residents. Defending the safety net means resisting federal cuts and closing the gaps in our own enrollment process so eligible families actually get the help they qualify for.
- Defend SNAP from federal cuts Federal proposals would cut SNAP by $52–$156 million per year in Hawaiʻi alone — pushing thousands of working families and kūpuna off food assistance. Coalition advocacy at the federal level is the front line.
- Elderly-Simplified Application Process (ESAP) Implement ESAP so kūpuna face fewer paperwork barriers when applying for SNAP. Older adults are eligible at high rates but enroll at low ones — this closes the gap.
- DA BUX expansion Scale the SNAP double-up program so every food-assistance dollar buys twice as much fresh local produce at participating retailers. DA BUX is one of the most popular state programs — it works.
“DA BUX is the only reason I can buy local greens for my kids. Without it I’d be back to canned vegetables and frozen fruit.” — SNAP recipient, Hilo
Build
Food equity isn’t just about access — it’s about who decides. Build local food systems where Hawaiʻi’s farmers have land, just wages, and sustainable practices, and where the communities that eat the food shape the policies that produce it.
- Local food procurement Set targets requiring state institutions — schools, hospitals, prisons — to buy a meaningful share of food from Hawaiʻi farms. Predictable institutional demand is what lets local growers scale.
- Land & just wages for farmers Long-term land tenure, fair pricing, and sustainable practices so local farming can be a livelihood, not a sacrifice.
- Cultural & community food sovereignty Support traditional Hawaiian food systems and community-led food security work that honors cultural practice as well as nutrition.
“If the DOE committed to buying our papaya every week, I could plant for a season instead of for a gamble.” — Puna farmer
Our Impact
A decade-and-a-half of food-equity wins — from forcing the state to deliver SNAP on time, to creating DA BUX, to expanding free school meals on the path to universal access.
Forced the state to deliver SNAP on time
Sued to force the state to process and deliver SNAP benefits in a timely manner to beneficiaries. Closed the gap between policy and practice for thousands of Hawaiʻi families relying on food assistance.
Launched the DA BUX campaign
Initiated the campaign to create DA BUX, a SNAP incentive program that helps low-income families afford locally grown food. DA BUX has become one of the most popular state programs in Hawaiʻi — dramatically expanding the capacity of low-income households to eat healthy, locally-sourced food.
Won pandemic-era emergency food supports
Advocated successfully for pandemic emergency food supports, including rental assistance and unemployment benefits that kept families fed when Hawaiʻi unemployment was among the highest in the nation.
Raised the minimum wage to $18/hour
Helped increase Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage from $10.10 to $18/hour over six years — delivering $1 billion in additional wages annually to more than 200,000 low-wage workers. Wages that translate directly into the ability to buy food.
Expanding free school meals toward universal access
Leading the fight to expand free school meal access to public charter schools and establish a pathway to universal free school meals for all Hawaiʻi students by 2030. Also advocating for state supplementary funding to close the gap between federal reimbursement rates and the true cost of feeding our keiki.
Implementing ESAP for kūpuna on SNAP
Helped lower the barrier for kūpuna to access SNAP by implementing the Elderly Simplified Application Process. Older adults are eligible at high rates but historically enrolled at low ones — ESAP closes that gap with simplified paperwork and longer recertification periods.
Research & News
Reports from our Food Equity team, plus news coverage and analysis from around Hawaiʻi.
Help us end hunger in Hawaiʻi.
Every family deserves access to healthy, affordable, and culturally meaningful food. Sign up for email alerts on food-equity bills moving at the Capitol, read our latest food research, or reach out to your legislator — every voice helps build an inclusive food system.