Native Hawaiian farmer Kaina Makua was anticipating $470,000 from the federal government this year to quadruple his production of kalo, or taro, the ancestral crop that is pounded into the sticky, purple staple poi. In January, he found out the money wasn’t coming.
In Hawaii, where 90% of the food is imported, local farmers like Makua need boosts from federal funding so there is greater food security in the islands. State researchers have found an island needs to grow at least 50% of its staple crops — like kalo, ‘ulu (breadfruit) and ‘uala (sweet potato) — to be self-sufficient in a disaster.
Local farmers are not only critical to helping alleviate the rate of 1 in 3 households that are food insecure in Hawaii, but they also provide these staples and other produce to food banks and schools. However, since the Trump administration paused funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and cut other U.S. Department of Agriculture…
