Hawaii, celebrated for its beauty and cultural heritage, faces an alarming crisis: household food insecurity. According to the 2023 Hawaii Foodbank report, one in three residents – 30% – struggle to access sufficient safe and nutritious food. This situation is even more dire among Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities, where chronic food insecurity exceeds 40%.

These figures are not just statistics; they represent our children, kupuna, families, coworkers and community members forced to choose between housing, medicine or their next meal. Hawaii’s food insecurity rate, nearly three times the national average, is socially constructed and solvable through targeted public and private sector investment. Solutions include raising the minimum wage to a living standard, funding universal school meals, expanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and WIC enrollment, and increasing support for programs like Double-Up Bucks.

The recent 2024 ALICE in Hawaii report, released by Aloha United Way, underscores the broader economic challenges fueling food insecurity. While households below the poverty line decreased to 12% from 14% in 2022, nearly 29% of Hawaii’s families remain classifed as ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained, employed). These households live paycheck to paycheck, and nearly half of those below the ALICE threshold face food insecurity. Rising living costs and inflation disproportionately impact these families, forcing extreme measures like overdrawing accounts, borrowing money, and cutting essential spending.

As a community, we must act with urgency, guided by the principle that food is a fundamental human right. To do otherwise is a moral failure.

Food insecurity transcends politics. It speaks to human equality, aloha and kuleana. Ensuring access to adequate food is not only a moral imperative but also an investment in our collective future. Global evidence shows reducing food insecurity improves public health, reduces healthcare costs, and enhances education and workplace productivity. In Hawaii, addressing hunger also strengthens local food systems, supports local producers, and builds resilience against future shocks.

The impacts of chronic hunger are devastating. It exacerbates diabetes, heart disease, and depression, straining our health care system. For children, hunger stunts development, lowers academic performance and increases long-term health risks. Addressing food insecurity is not merely about alleviating hunger — it’s a strategy to reduce preventable diseases, create healthier communities and improve economic outcomes.

Achieving zero hunger in Hawaii yields significant and measurable social and economic benefits. Reliable food access increases productivity increases, reduces absenteeism and improves educational outcomes. Policies such as expanding SNAP benefits, funding universal school meal programs, and enhancing food bank support will pay for themselves through long-term gains in public health, economic stability, and human potential.

Food security policies can also bolster local agriculture. By prioritizing affordable, locally grown food, Hawaii can reduce reliance on imports, create jobs, circulate money locally, and promote sustainability. A robust local food system not only counters supply chain disruptions and climate change but also strengthens food sovereignty.

Hawaii has the resources and knowledge to address food insecurity. What’s needed is political will and community commitment. The moral argument is clear: no one in Hawaii should go hungry. The economic and social case are equally compelling. Achieving zero hunger will make Hawaii healthier, more prosperous, and resilient.

The recent Hawaii Food System Summit emphasized the urgency of this issue. It’s time for state leaders, businesses, and communities to prioritize food security as central to Hawaii’s future. Our local efforts to address chronic household food insecurity is increasing critical given the unpredictable direction of federal entitlement programs. Achieving zero hunger reflects the true spirit of aloha — a vision within our reach. Let us act now to ensure no one in our islands is left behind.

Albie Miles is associate professor of sustainable community food systems at University of Hawaii-West Oahu; Amy Miller is president/CEO of Hawaii Foodbank.