The popularity of locally grown food in Hawaii is booming.

Foodland, Whole Foods Market, Kyo-ya Hotels, Subway restaurants all complain that they can’t get hold of enough of the stuff our farmers grow.

Top restaurateurs like Alan Wong and Ed Kenney and smaller, upcoming places like the Honolulu Burger Co. happily boast about their local ingredients.

It’s attracted the attention of TV foodies like Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel. And two weeks ago, the premiere of the movie "Ingredients," about the Hawaii food farm renaissance and the burgeoning grow-it-at-home movement, attracted nearly 500 people, at $45 a pop.

A December 2011 survey by the Ulupono Initiative concluded that "Consumers across Oahu strongly believe local food is important, they don’t think there’s enough available; and they are willing to pay more for local food." Indeed a new farmers market seems to open every month.

But this boom can’t be sustained if we continue to lose our best farmland. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says we now grow only 8 percent to 10 percent of everything we eat. And that’s because since statehood we’ve paved 53 percent of our prime ag land and development continues apace.

People instinctively get the connection. Polls consistently show large majorities want to preserve our remaining prime farmlands and halt urban sprawl — most voters list it as one of their top political concerns.

In response, politicians mouth the right words. But in practice they continue to sabotage the public will.

The most recent example: the "purple spot," a proposed industrial complex in the heart of Lualualei Valley, a concept so egregious and unpopular that neither the Land Use Commission nor the Planning Commission would countenance it. But last week six members of the City Council chose to ignore the 433 pieces of testimony sent in a 24-hour period and the 1,327 signatures in opposition and voted to approve the project. All six Council members had received campaign contributions from the three wealthy investors pushing the project.

In coming months the Land Use Commission will decide whether to approve billionaire developer Donald Horton’s Ho‘opili scheme to plant 11,750 homes on the best food-growing farmland in the state. The commission will also decide whether to approve billionaire David Murdock’s scheme to put 5,000 homes on the farmlands of Koa Ridge. Between them, these two projects would pave lands where we currently grow some 40 percent of all the produce grown in the state. This is insanity.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Opposition to the developments is growing fast and efforts are mounting to encourage the state and developers to move new housing projects back into the urban core where they belong. Also in coming weeks, a bill introduced by the Ag Hui — proposing to commit the state to double our food production by 2020 and temporarily halt reclassification of ag land if we don’t meet that goal — will face vital votes at the state Capitol.

But the message from the politicians is clear: They want proof that we care. So if we really are committed to healthy local food, we need to show our support in a large and significant way. If we can demonstrate that support, we can make sure the right decisions are made for Hawaii. This week we have a chance.

Yesterday, a farm tractor convoy through downtown Honolulu coincided with a farmer and anti-GMO rally at the state Capitol.

On Saturday, there will be a rally and festival at Kakaako Waterfront Park, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., to celebrate our food and farm revolution and to protest against Ho‘opili. There will be a farmers and artisans market with about 100 booths plus entertainment, hay rides and other activities. Come on down and show you care.