Maui County’s Department of Agriculture launches Food and Nutrition Security Plan

The County of Maui Department of Agriculture today unveiled the Maui County Food and Nutrition Security Plan, a significant step toward creating a more equitable, sustainable and resilient food system.

The plan ensures all residents have access to affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food while emphasizing the power of local food systems in promoting health, cultural connection and resilience — especially for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. The goal is to create measurable improvements by 2030.

The Department of Agriculture has already begun partnering with local producers, organizations and agencies to implement key portions of the plan, with annual progress reports slated over the next five years.

The Maui County Food and Nutrition Security Plan provides a comprehensive vision for Maui County’s food system, addressing every stage from production to distribution and consumption. View the full plan on the department’s webpage: https://www.mauicounty.gov/2473/Department-of-Agriculture.

Key goals of the plan include:

• Improving access to nourishing and culturally relevant foods.
• Supporting producers to expand local food production.
• Building vibrant local food economies and viable, profitable agricultural careers.
• Promoting responsible natural resource stewardship.

Developed over several years, the plan was shaped by hundreds of community members, including farmers, ranchers, fishers, hunters, foragers, educators and public health professionals, and reflects the top food system needs and solutions identified by communities across Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. More than 900 residents contributed through community meetings, surveys and talk-story sessions.

The planning process was led by the County’s Department of Agriculture, the Maui Nui Food Alliance, Kamanani Conklin of New Venture Advisors and Alice Liu of Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, with funding from Transforming Hawai‘i’s Food Systems Together initiative. This statewide initiative aims to build a more sustainable, equitable and resilient food system.

For more information, contact department via email at agriculture@co.maui.hi.us or call 808-270-8276.