Hawaiʻi DOE wants another $30M for a facility that hasn’t been built
The Department of Education is pinning its local food buying goals on a central facility, and the budget is getting bigger and bigger.
Legislative deadline looms over universal free school meals bill
A bill to provide universal free school meals in Hawaiʻi is once again in jeopardy at the state Legislature.
Lawmakers are keeping pressure on DOE for school meal plans
Farmers and ranchers see an opportunity for ongoing collaboration.
Hawaiʻi missed out on $200M in federal funding for school meal programs, report says
The Hawaiʻi Appleseed study found that federal programs meant to reimburse organizations that feed Hawaii’s children have not taken into account more than 40 years of increases in local food costs.
Report: Federal funding flaw shortchanges Hawaiʻi’s school nutrition programs
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education is paying tens of millions of dollars to feed Hawaiʻi school children due to a flaw in the funding method used by the federal government, according to a report.
Hawaiʻi’s keiki nutrition programs facing financial crisis
The state is missing out on tens of millions of federal dollars each year to provide meals for needy children.
Hawaiʻi legislature 2022: smart spending could help big problems
The legislature has money available for almost any policy initiative imaginable, and every member of the house and senate is up for reelection.
Hawaiʻi schools are buying less local food during the pandemic
Despite new legislation requiring public schools to serve student meals with more local ingredients, advocates say they are frustrated by a regression in local food initiatives.
Bill would expand DA BUX food program
The measure is intended to provide low-income people easier access to healthier food choices and to help local farmers and ranchers.
We have a chance to build a more equitable, resilient Hawaiʻi
Together, we can bring about a more equitable and resilient future that honors the people, land, culture, and values of Hawaiʻi.
State must help provide food security
This may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pivot toward the kind of food system we want for Hawaiʻi’s future.
Hawaiʻi’s food security shaky heading into hurricane season
Almost all food the state of Hawaiʻi consumes comes through the Port of Honolulu, and there is currently no redundancy in the event of an emergency like a hurricane.
Let’s not roll back on Hawaiʻi schools’ healthy lunch strides
We need to stand up to the Trump Administration’s misguided attempts to weaken nutrition standards.
Name in the news: Daniela Spoto, Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s anti-hunger director
In a just-released report, the nonprofit’s assessment of the problem is illustrated with three pillars: access to resources, health and nutrition, and community resilience.
Double Up Food Bucks pays dividends beyond feeding needy
Advocates are backing a bill to provide state money to bolster the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program when its funds are spent on local produce.
Let’s Talk Food: School lunches in Hawaiʻi
The DOE is increasing local food in student meals as well as connecting our keiki with the ʻāina using local products from the agricultural community.
How to encourage healthy diets and support local agriculture
Nutrition incentive programs like SNAP help stretch budgets and put good food on tables.
It takes everyone to bring fresh local food to keiki
Under the ʻĀina Pono initiative, schools are serving nutritious meals using locally sourced ingredients.
69 public schools offer free summer meals. But most kids don't claim them
Low participation in summer meal programs robs the state of more than a million dollars a month in federal reimbursements for the meals.
When it comes to school breakfast, we can do better
Research shows that when students eat school breakfast they have lower rates of obesity and improved attendance, behavior and grades.