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.
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.
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.
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Supply (ho‘onui): Targeted increase in productionScale farmers to grow more food for local and export markets, focusing on specific products to meet demand. | ||
Scale farmers to grow more food for local and export markets, focusing on specific products to meet demand.
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Distribution (ho‘ohui): Connecting product to consumerInvest in emerging, innovative models of aggregation, processing, distribution, and retail to deliver food to consumers. KS will also support increasing its institutional purchasing for its educational campuses and programs. | ||
Invest in emerging, innovative models of aggregation, processing, distribution, and retail to deliver food to consumers. KS will also support increasing its institutional purchasing for its educational campuses and programs.
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Demand (makemake): Stimulating consumer demandConsumers are engaged and motivated to buy local because they feel connected to the farmers, have easy access, enjoy competitive pricing, and crave ‘ono local products! KS will partner with collaborators to educate community on eating local. | ||
Consumers are engaged and motivated to buy local because they feel connected to the farmers, have easy access, enjoy competitive pricing, and crave ‘ono local products! KS will partner with collaborators to educate community on eating local.
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
Learn more about KS farmers and producers as well as our work to grow our local food system.
April 25, 2023
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.
February 22, 2023
Solar farm dedicated on Kamehameha Schools’ lands in Waiawa
Clearway Energy Group celebrates the completion of its second solar project on ‘Ᾱina Pauahi.
January 18, 2023
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.
