On Labor Day this year, the Institutional Purchasing Hui, the O‘ahu Good Food Program, and the City and County of Honolulu hosted a ‘‘Discover Local Foods Day” at the Hawai‘i Convention Center for a local food gathering to build awareness and encourage local purchasing and collaboration.
The event featured a signing of an O‘ahu Good Food pledge by stakeholders and partners to adopt the O‘ahu Good Food Program and commit to the production and consumption of locally grown food that is healthy, affordable, and sustainable. Key speakers included Mayor Rick Blangiardi, the City and County of Honolulu – Office of Climate Change and Resiliency, the Office of Economic Revitalization, Resilient O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, Council for Native Hawaii Advancement, Kamehameha Schools, Centers for Good Food Purchasing, and Hawai‘i Pacific Health. The commitment is to support local producers and Hawaii’s economic sustainability. At the event, a number of tastings, a variety of “discovery” booths taught attendees how to prepare local produce in traditional ways.
The “Discover Local Foods Day” is hoped to become an annual event to:
- Help local producers and suppliers showcase their products and interact with a range of purchasers that include schools, hospitals, housing facilities, among others.
- Showcase indigenous knowledge on sustainable food production.
- Create opportunities for small group discussion sessions, networking and problem-solving around issues affecting food security in Hawai’i.
