Panel to Address Molokai’s Food Security

Molokai Bahá’í Community News Release

What will we eat if barge service is cut? It is a serious question considering that Hawaii imports most of its food. Sitting in the middle of the Pacific, it is completely dependent on long supply lines that can fail due to factors such as business disruptions, climate change, pandemics, and global conflicts. 

How to protect Molokai’s food security — our continuous, long-term supply of food — will be the topic of a panel discussion at the Molokai Public Library on Wednesday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m., as part of the Global Citizenship Speaker Series.

Molokai’s supply chain is particularly insecure. When one barge run was cancelled in February due to weather, for example, the supply of fruits, vegetables, and dairy began to run out after just a few days. While our grocers can switch to air freight, that option is much more expensive and air service is itself unreliable. Recent conflicts in the Middle East underscore our precarious situation, since most of our fuel comes from that region: if fuel prices rise or supply is cut off, food security is impacted.

While the situation is worrisome, there is also good news. Molokai is taking action to increase the local food supply through projects by groups such as Sustainable Molokai, Molokai Cooperative Extension, Hawaii Farmers’ Union, and ʻĀina Momona.

 The food security panel, including Tehani Kaalekani, Executive Director of Sustainable Molokai, and Kyle Franks, agricultural Extension Agent for Molokai Cooperative Extension, will address the problem and solutions.

The speaker series is presented by the Molokai Bahá’í Community in collaboration with Molokai Public Library to encourage conversations around global issues of importance to Molokai. Everyone is welcome. Light refreshments will be served.