By Steve Phillips of Local Harvest Hawaii
Hawaii is the most remote land mass on the planet. Two billion pounds of food are shipped into Hawaii from the mainland each year. Half a billion pounds of food is produced in Hawaii each year, and about 40% of that is exported. Local food production supplies only 10% of the state’s needs. One out of three people in Hawaii cannot afford nutritious food. Fifteen local food hubs in Hawaii supply only 1% of Hawaii’s food needs. We would have only a five-day supply of food on the islands if our imported food supply ended, and thousands of people would die. We desperately need to grow the local food movement in Hawaii.
Hawaii currently imports 90% of its total food needs from the mainland or other countries. About 70% of our produce is imported. PROUT says the essentials of life (food and water, clothing, shelter, education, and medical care) should be provided locally through cooperative systems. Food is the most basic need. Local food means food security, a stronger local economy and fresher food. Dependence on food from thousands of miles away across the ocean is not practical and very risky.
Growing and producing our own food products is very beneficial to the local economy—$1.00 spent with local businesses is worth from $3.50 to $5.00 to the local economy, due to the number of times it circulates. Whereas $1.00 spent at a large non-local, corporate store is worth about $.20 to the local economy. These statistics were taken from a study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Other studies have shown similar results. This is part of the reason why 33% of the people in Hawaii cannot afford nutritious food. Our local economy is suffering due to many large corporations extracting the wealth of the islands.
Papaya and other produce.Local Harvest was started in 2011 for the purpose of building the local food supply. When we started, there was little interest in local food. We struggled to make the business work. However, the aftermath of COVID and the Lahaina fire has created a tremendous interest in building a strong local food supply. Local Harvest now buys nearly two million pounds of local fruits, vegetables, macadamia nuts, and honey per year from more than 100 local growers on Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island. Most Maui growers deliver twice a week to our 4,000 sq. ft. warehouse on Maui. We try to have two to four growers of each item in order to provide a consistent supply to our customers. We offer more than 200 fresh produce items.
Local Harvest has five avenues to distribute local food, including Local Harvest Wholesale, Island Fresh Home Delivery, Napili Farmers Market, Sattvic Kitchen Products, and Local Harvest Market. This variety of businesses allows us to find a home for nearly all the produce the local farms can grow. Our wholesale business distributes to restaurants, stores, schools, farmers’ markets, and other food hubs. Our home delivery transports specially prepared produce boxes to around 200 homes per week. Our farmers market operates three days per week in Napili, near Lahaina, on the west side of Maui and has more than 25 vendors and several food trucks. Live music adds to the atmosphere of the market.
Sattvic Kitchen offers more than 30 packaged products, including cultured macadamia spreads, salad dressings, nut butters, local salt products, and more. Local Harvest Market stocks local produce and value-added food products from nearly 100 local suppliers. We collect donations from customers who pay it forward to those who cannot afford to buy enough food, and we offer a 10% discount to those older than 60 on Mondays.
The various nut butters that are available.
Local Harvest worked closely with several non-profits for six months following the Lahaina fire to get nutritious local food to those in need. We distributed a total of about 6,000 lbs. of food per week directly and through five non-profits.
We are constantly working to grow the supply and the demand for local food. There is a long way to go in order to supply all the needs of the Islands, but we are making progress. We currently distribute all over Maui and to food hubs on five other islands (Oahu, Hawaii Island, Kauai, Lanai, and Molokai). Local food sales from the 15 Hawaii food hubs have tripled in the last four years. Demand currently exceeds the existing supply of most local produce items.
One exciting new venture is The Bean Project. Amjad Ahmad does agricultural research for the University of Hawaii. He has completed trials on 70 varieties of dried beans in Hawaii. We are working with Amjad to test market the best varieties and help locate growers for the beans. We recently completed a focus group session and a test market at Down to Earth and Napili Farmers Market. The results are positive. We now need growers and bean threshing equipment. This project is a first for Hawaii and will provide a good local source of vegetarian protein.
Steve Phillips in the new store with a mural painting of Maui.We are investigating the process of converting Local Harvest to a worker-owned cooperative. We are also making plans to start a farmer-owned cooperative of newly trained farmers. The co-op would help them with a land lease and initial equipment needs. The farmers would grow items that are in demand for local markets. We are continuing to collaborate with local non-profits to provide food for low-income families.
For more information on our current activities, check our websites and YouTube channel.
LocalHarvestHawaii.com, IslandFreshDelivery.com, NapiliFarmersMarket.com, SattvicKitchenMaui.com, Sattvic World Videos YouTube channel.