As federal food aid shrinks, Hawaiʻi counties hold important key to local food security
HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — A new policy brief from Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice outlines a critical and timely shift in the fight against hunger across the islands.
With federal nutrition programs facing unprecedented cuts, the brief, “County Leadership in Combating Food Insecurity: Seizing Local Levers in Uncertain Times,” details how county governments must now leverage their unique position to protect residents from rising food insecurity.
The urgent need for local action is underscored by stark data: 43 percent of households on Hawaiʻi Island report food insecurity, along with 41 percent in Maui County, 32 percent on Kauaʻi, and 25 percent on Oʻahu.
Simultaneously, the recent passage of federal legislation (H.R.1) has cut SNAP-Education funding, directly threatening the stability of the county Food Access Coordinator positions established since 2018. These coordinators have been the backbone of local food system planning, disaster response coordination, and community needs assessment.
“The crisis is clear: federal supports are receding just as local need is soaring,” said Genevieve Mumma, food policy analyst at Hawaiʻi Appleseed. “Counties are no longer just partners in food security—they are becoming essential first responders. This brief highlights some ways counties are already stepping up to meet the need, and provides a roadmap for how county agencies, from Emergency Management to Parks and Recreation, can use existing resources and authority to fill the gaps.”
The policy brief highlights five key areas where counties are already acting and can deepen their impact:
Disaster Preparation & Planning: Developing robust, multi-agency feeding plans, as Hawaiʻi County has done, to ensure coordination during wildfires, storms, or economic shocks.
Summer Feeding Programs: Leveraging County Parks and Recreation departments to sponsor and expand Summer Food Service Programs, ensuring keiki have meals when school is out.
Kūpuna Feeding Programs: Enhancing support for Area Agencies on Aging to fund home-delivered meals, food boxes, and congregate sites for seniors.
Direct Support for Food Banks: Following Maui County’s model of providing recurring county funding to food banks—the only county to do so—to ensure a reliable “last line of defense.”
Program Innovation: Passing resolutions for universal free school meals, creating local food purchasing incentives (like Maui’s upcoming ‘Farm to Families’ program), and increasing outreach for federal benefit programs like SNAP and WIC.
The brief emphasizes that county action is not a replacement for strong federal and state programs, but a necessary complement. With closer community connections, counties can tailor solutions to local realities, such as inter-island transportation barriers in Maui County or the dispersed rural communities of Hawaiʻi County.
“The message is one of both warning and opportunity,” added Daniela Spoto, Hawaiʻi Appleseed Deputy Director. “We are seeing a serious destabilization of our foundational food safety nets, and yet we have these county programs that have been quietly filling local needs that could be doing even more with just small strategic investments. With their closer focus on community needs, counties can build a more resilient, local food security infrastructure that protects our most vulnerable residents now and in the future.”
The policy brief is available for download at: https://hiappleseed.org/publications/county-leadership-combating-food-insecurity
