The recent tropical cyclone devastation in Vanuatu demonstrated the vulnerability of living on islands. With Hawaii being the most geographically isolated islands in the world, clearly we are vulnerable to similar natural disasters. A major component of this vulnerability includes our limited local food supply.

Discussions of Hawaii’s vulnerability often focus on food sustainability, but there is a great need for prioritizing food resiliency as well. Food resiliency emphasizes becoming more self-sufficient in all aspects of maintaining an adequate and reliable supply of food. Of course, the food supply needs to be abundant enough and diverse enough to meet the essential nutrient needs of people in Hawaii.

AT THE MOMENT we are far from producing an adequate quantity and variety of food to meet those nutritional needs.

Many people in the state are striving to improve food resiliency. This is especially apparent on Maui, where many diverse groups are striving to preserve agricultural land

and promote the growth, harvesting, processing, distribution, sale and con- sumption of locally produced food. These range from grass-roots community efforts to develop "food forests," to food processing ventures that create substantial demand for local agricultural production.

GETTING POISED to help catalyze and support these new directions is the Maui Food Innovation Center at the University of Hawaii Maui College. They recently developed education and training courses in food manufacturing and have a state-funded facility under development.

THEIR MISSION: "To build a stronger, economically diverse, and sustainable Maui Nui by supporting a value-added industry for locally grown and produced food." Along with the courses they offer, the resources available on their website provide good support for community ventures and food product entrepreneurs.

QUESTION: What types of businesses are helping to maintain and increase demand for Hawaii agriculture?

ANSWER: A good example of this is the Maui Preserved company, which was started in 2010 by Anthony LaBua-Keiser and Maleta Van Loan. Coming from fine-dining types of culinary backgrounds, they use locally grown seasonal produce to make a wide variety of unique products that use ingredients such as Maui onions, beets, strawberries, pineapple, pohole fern, chili peppers for hot sauces, locally produced cane sugar and vanilla, to name just a few.

The high demand for their products just within Maui and the state of Hawaii requires a reliable supply of these locally grown diverse crops. This reliable and growing demand for a wide variety of produce is exactly what is needed to promote growth in diversified agriculture.

Mana Foods in Paia is another thriving local business on Maui that provides a reliable venue for local produce sales. They estimate that 50 percent of the produce they sell is grown in Hawaii.

Q: Are these types of ventures enough to secure food resiliency?

A: Not at this time. But, first and foremost, preserving agricultural land is critical to maintain the potential for food resiliency in Hawaii. At this time, creating demand for Hawaii niche food products is an important component for conserving agricultural land, an essential food security resource for future generations.

Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., are nutritionists in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii-Manoa. Dobbs also works with University Health Services.