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Our food systems initiative

E ‘ai kākou

Kamehameha Schools’ Food Systems initiative aims to grow healthy and accessible food in Hawai‘i, to feed Hawai‘i and beyond. Hānai i ke keiki, ola ka lāhui: Nurture the child, and the lāhui thrives.


Desired state

As our contribution towards growing Hawai‘i’s food systems, KS will engage in partnerships to increase the productivity and resiliency of agricultural related businesses on KS ‘āina and build consumer interest in locally grown foods and services. This will also create education and career opportunities for Native Hawaiians, farmers, and agribusiness leaders in ‘ōiwi worldview.

Environmentally and economically sustainable food production is a meaningful component of the Hawaiian culture, a diversified economy, and overall well-being of Hawai‘i’s people.

Outcomes

  • Increase production of and access to healthy, affordable, local food for all
  • Strengthened food value chain from farm to table
  • Grow and support indigenous crops and native farming to increase food supply aligned with environmental stewardship of our natural resources
  • Foster a resilient economy with new jobs, training, and career pathways in food and agriculture
  • Advance sustainable production, profitability, and collaboration of KS agriculture and commercial real-estate

Strategy

From farm to table, KS is a part of the entire food value chain and plays a unique leadership role in supporting a resilient food system in Hawai‘i. As a part of this work, Kamehameha Schools has created a new $10 million Food Systems Fund, focused on investments within Hawai‘i to support food production, distribution and aggregation, processing, purchasing, consumption, and solving food waste challenges. The fund, which sits within our Hawai‘i Targeted Investment Fund, targets both financial returns on investment as well as broader impacts to local jobs and career pathways, and economic multiplier effects on community.

Our three focus areas in food systems are:
Supply (ho‘onui) → Distribution (ho‘ohui) → Demand (makemake)


  
  
  
  
  
  

Farmers and producers

KS stewards more than 181,000 acres of agricultural land across Hawai‘i that produces nearly 19 million pounds of food annually. Farmers on KS land grow a variety of vegetables, orchards, and specialty crops and raise livestock. Learn more about our agricultural tenants and food producers below.

Hawaii Mac Nut Company

Mana ‘Ōlena and the ‘Ulu Co-op


In the news

Learn more about KS farmers and producers as well as our work to grow our local food system.

ʻO Kahaluʻu Kahi o nā Hālau Lololo Kahaluʻu, a place of intelligence

Righting the mistakes of the past, an intimate gathering of lineal descendants from the ahupuaʻa of Kahaluʻu Ma Kai on Hawaiʻi Island greeted the sun for a new day – a new promise. The recent piko ceremony held on Piko Wakea, the spring equinox – a time of transition and focusing on things to put back in balance – helped them to heal, find closure to what once was their home, and to celebrate a new way forward.


Solar farm dedicated on Kamehameha Schools’ lands in Waiawa

Clearway Energy Group celebrates the completion of its second solar project on ‘Ᾱina Pauahi.


Second utility-scale solar project completed on ‘Āina Pauahi on O‘ahu

Located in the ahupuaʻa of Waiawa in Central Oʻahu and developed by San Francisco-based Clearway Energy Group, the 36-megawatt solar farm with 144 MWh of battery storage will generate enough clean electricity to power more than 7,600 homes each year.

More ‘āina news »