Food Securtity 101–An Environmetal Caucus Forum to air on Channel 49

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Caucus Announcements, Food Security and Sustainability

The Environmental Caucus
of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i presents

The First of a Four Part Series
FOOD SECURITY 101
An Introduction to Food Security in Hawaiʻi Nei

Why is food security such a hot topic at the capital?
What exactly does it mean to be food secure and how venerable is our State?
Please join this live 90-minute call in discussion with some of the States top experts. You may attend either in person or from the comfort of your own home. Call in information will be provided during the event.

This event will air on cable channel 49
March 14, 2012
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

or join us in person at
‘Ōlelo Māpunapuna Community Media Center
1122 Māpunapuna Street, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96819

Neighbor Islanders may attend though
Livestream available at: http://www.olelo.org/live
Channel 49

Topics and featured speakers

The Agricultural Renaissance: Esther Kia‘āina & Giorgio Caldarone, Kamehameha Schools
Ho‘omaopopo Na Mea Ai (Defining Food Self-Sufficiency): Representative Faye Hanohano, Hawai‘i State Legislature
Variables in Food Security: George Kent, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Hawai‘i

Moderated by Gary Hooser
Director Office of Environmental Quality Control

Comments

9 responses to “Food Securtity 101–An Environmetal Caucus Forum to air on Channel 49”

March 14, 2012

David K. Oclinaria

Why is the state allowing so many developers to build new homes that the locally born people cannot even think about purchasing, because of the price for said homes? We should enact laws to limit the amount of foreign investors from buying and owning our land, which is so limited as is. And can’t we start thinking of being more self sustainable, then depending on outside goods? Come on people, lets wake up, and take control of how they use our lands, lets keep agriculture lands just that, agriculture lands, and stop building new homes for outsiders to buy just because they can afford it.

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1. March 18, 2012
  
  mike deycaza
  
  You hit the nail on the head David, land speculation is killing our agriculture sector and until it is curbed we will not be self sufficient or environmentally sustainable. There was an article in the Star/Advertiser about a year ago reporting how the city of Shanghai responded to this. They passed a law that said only one house or apartment per person(no house hoarding),also if you knocked down a building and built a new one the new rent could only be 5% more than the old rents were. The Chinese economy has been doing better than ours lately, maybe we should copy them. Or we can just wait. As oil gets more expensive the price of imported food, etc. will also go up and people will begin to leave. A UH professor estimated that when gas reaches 20$/ gal the population of Hawaii will drop by half. Land would be much more affordable I imagine.
  
  Reply
March 14, 2012

Michael deYcaza

Is there some way to encourage or force the owners of large tracts of ag land to sell it to farmers in 1 or 2 ,or 5 or 10 acre lots. This size has been shown to be more productive. They always sell the land in huge chunks that only corporations can afford.

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March 15, 2012

Josephine Keliipio

Question: does this agriculture that they are talking about include GMO food?

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March 15, 2012

Lopaka

Are any of you familiar with the larger legal issues of which affect food security such as the United Nations Security Council complaint against the United States for the prolonged and illegal occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom?

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March 15, 2012

Lopaka

How can and in what ways do court decisions such as Napeali v. Wilson in 1926 which proclaimed that “the U.S. and Territory of Hawaii must respect the boundaries of the Royal Patent” impact food security?

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March 15, 2012

David A.

Great show! Let’s say that the Land Use Commission does decide to keep the Ho`opili area in agriculture (the only decision that makes sense given their charter, the constitution, and the needs of the people of Hawaii going forward). How can we find a way forward to continue farming — and increasing the production given the unique characteristics of that land — given the high land cost and the challenges that poses to viably growing food? I know a solution can be found especially with the younger farmers coming up but it’s going to take a lot of partnership and creativity.

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March 17, 2012

Lance D

There was much meaningful mana’o shared, and much to be learned by listening. Please let me know when parts 102-104 will be aired.

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March 17, 2012

Lance D

@Lopaka, it does seem sad and ironic that under the old land tenure system before the great Mahele, the Kingdom of Hawaii was able to support a population of over 1 million from its local resources. Now it seems O’ahu has lost the ability to feed and sustain itself and will need to rely on non-local sources of food. We seem to have lost the concept that there will be generations to come in the future for whom we must preserve and protect the land in the best possible stewardship so that they can sustain themselves also.

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