Hawaiʻi’s hunger crisis is here, and urgent

Across Hawaiʻi, families are being squeezed by an affordability crisis that shows no sign of easing. It may seem unthinkable that nearly 1 in 3 households here struggles to put food on the table. Yet that’s exactly where we find ourselves—in the midst of a hunger crisis driven by sky-high living costs, cuts to essential nutrition supports, and food systems that don’t work for all of us.

These 1 in 3 families are our neighbors. Parents juggling multiple jobs and forgoing meals to feed their keiki. Kūpuna on fixed incomes skipping the produce aisle to afford medicine. Students going to school on empty stomachs. And the demand at food banks remains near pandemic levels, with no sign of slowing.

This crisis is real, and it demands more than good intentions. The Hawaiʻi Hunger Action Network, a collective of advocates, service providers and community leaders, believes this legislative session is a critical opportunity to act. Ending hunger will not happen through a single program or one-time appropriation. It requires multiple, complementary strategies that stabilize households, strengthen local food systems, and ensure our keiki can thrive. This session, we urge lawmakers to focus on three priorities that together move Hawaiʻi closer to food security for all.