Photo credit: Christian Cook
A large portion of food consumed in Hawaii is imported, while tens of thousands of acres of valuable, unprotected farm land lay fallow on the North Shore. Meanwhile, more and more consumers seek out fresh, healthy, local foods. The Food Summit was an annual event organized by the North Shore Community Land Trust that took place from 2013 until 2017. We envisioned a summit to bring together community leaders, food producers and farmers so that constructive dialogue and specific actions could be committed towards increased local food production. Guest speakers included public health experts, representatives of large and small land owners, ranchers and farmers, local chefs and restaurateurs, food distributors, agricultural financing experts, and waste processors. The long term goal of the summit is to help move the North Shore, Oahu, and the State, towards greater food security by connecting diverse food system partners and encouraging them to collaborate with one another to identify impediments to achieving a healthy, sustainable food system and opportunities to eliminate these roadblocks.
