Fisher will discuss why wealthy countries like the U.S. continue to struggle with food insecurity.

HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — Andy Fisher, the author of Big Hunger: The Unholy Alliance Between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups (2017), will speak at the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) at Mānoa on the evening of September 12, 2019. Fisher will discuss the reasons why hunger persists in wealthy countries like the United States, and how it can be solved.

Prior to his talk, Fisher will be meeting with farmers, food banks, food-justice advocates and social service providers about innovative anti-hunger initiatives on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island.

Even in the 21st century, hunger is a critical issue in Hawaiʻi. According to a 2017 Feeding America analysis, one in nine island residents struggle with food insecurity, including one in six children. However, unlike in the developing world, Hawaiʻi residents who struggle to put food on the table are often the same individuals who battle with diet-related chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease and kidney failure.

“With the costs of food up to 80 percent higher in Hawaiʻi than prices on the continent, it makes sense that struggling families would choose the cheapest foods they can find, which tend to be high in salt, sugar and fat, and low in essential nutrients,” said Daniela Spoto, Director of Anti-Hunger Initiatives at Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice. “We need to find solutions that focus on the root causes of hunger, and ensure that everyone—regardless of their income—has access to good, healthy food.”

Fisher’s 2017 book takes a critical look at our current system of addressing hunger in the United States and offers solutions that focus not on charity, but on addressing food insecurity at its source. These solutions include both improving public health and reducing income inequality.

As the founder of the Community Food Security Coalition, Fisher has been a leading force in the food security and justice movement for the past 25 years. He led national campaigns that have brought more than $200 million to community groups for food security and farm-to-school projects.

Fisher’s public talk is presented by the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and the UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR). The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. event. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. On-campus parking is available for $6. The facility is ADA accessible. Registration and more information can be found here.

Co-sponsors include: The UH College of Social Sciences, The Food Basket, the Hawaii Good Food Alliance, Kahala Hotel & Resort, the UH Public Policy Center, UH Alumni Relations and the UH Better Tomorrow Speaker Series.

Fisher makes regular appearances on television and radio and is available for on-air or advance interviews in Hawaiʻi from September 10 through 13. Contact Will Caron, Communications Director for Hawaiʻi Appleseed, to set up an interview.

Source for Hawaiʻi food costs 80 percent higher than continental states: Calculated using the rates from the Official United States Department of Agriculture Food Plans. Comparison of costs between Hawaiʻi and other states for a family of four: Couple (Male & Female), 19–50 years and children 6–8 and 9–11, July, 2019.

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The Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice is committed to a more socially just Hawaiʻi, where everyone has genuine opportunities to achieve economic security and fulfill their potential. We change systems that perpetuate inequality and injustice through policy development, advocacy and coalition building.