$143,000 donated to culinary, agricultural and community organizations from 2024 Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival proceeds

The Hawai‘i Ag & Culinary Alliance (HACA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011, has announced it awarded $143,805 in proceeds from its signature program, the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival®(HFWF), to support culinary, agricultural, and community organizations across the state. This year’s giving brings HACA’s total community investment to over $5 million since its inception.

Dedicated to forging vibrant links between world-class culinary events and the advancement of culinary education—from community colleges to four-year universities—HACA’s mission is to elevate Hawai‘i’s culinary and agricultural sectors, enriching both the visitor industry and the local community.

Its signature program, the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival, is recognized as the premier culinary destination event of the Pacific—spotlighting Hawai‘i as a world-class culinary destination, showcasing the islands’ extraordinary talent and locally grown products, and giving back to the community. Through this, the Festival is expanding opportunities for students and strengthening educational pathways across the state to support Hawai‘i’s culinary and agricultural industries in new and exciting ways.

Each year, proceeds from the Festival support culinary education, agriculture, and sustainability initiatives, as well as to provide relief for restaurant and hospitality workers during times of need. Since 2011, the Festival has raised over $5 million for these causes. In doing so, HFWF has become a platform for collaboration, a driver for workforce development, and a lifeline for industry recovery when it mattered most.

In 2024, HFWF funding supported the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges Culinary Programs at six campuses across the state, as well as Imua Family Services, the Maui County Farm Bureau, and the Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation. In addition, two national nonprofit organizations—the James Beard Foundation and DC Central Kitchen—were selected for their transformative work in advancing culinary education, equity, and innovation in food systems and social justice.

HACA is proud to support a range of workforce development programs designed to foster growth and opportunity within Hawai‘i’s culinary and hospitality industries. These include:

• Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship, which supports Hawai‘i-based value-added food entrepreneurs to scale operations in partnership with Leeward Community College and the Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center’s ‘Āina to Mākeke program.
• CIP x CIA Workforce Development Scholarship Fund, which aims to elevate the skills of Hawai‘i’s culinary professionals by offering scholarships for students participating in workforce development intensives at the Culinary Institute of the Pacific, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America.
• Kōkua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund, a vital resource providing grants to Hawai‘i’s restaurant and hospitality workers, aiding those in need due to unforeseen challenges and ensuring the continued strength of the local culinary community.

As the largest food and wine festival in the state, HFWF brings together more than 200 internationally renowned chefs, culinary personalities, master sommeliers, wine professionals, mixologists, and visionary speakers.

New in 2025, the Festival introduces the inaugural FEAST Summit—a dynamic forum exploring the intersections of Food, Education, Agriculture, Sustainability, and Tourism. The one-day conference is designed to advance conversations around food system resilience, workforce development, and the interconnected future of Hawai‘i’s culinary, agricultural, and visitor industries.

Bringing together chefs, educators, students, policymakers, and industry leaders, the Summit serves as a natural extension of HACA’s commitment to strengthening educational pathways and fostering collaboration that drives lasting impact across Hawai‘i’s economy and community.

Tickets for the Fifteenth Annual Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival are on sale now for 10 events spanning three weekends across the Island of Hawai‘i; Kāʻanapali, Maui; and O‘ahu from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2, 2025. Additional events to be announced in the coming weeks.

Visit hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com to purchase tickets, view event details and chef lineup.