Honolulu Must Enshrine The Right To Food

And while we are at it, let’s also establish a food security fund.

December 3, 2025

By Elia Herman and Kima Wassel Hardy

Hawai’i Food Bank

Food insecurity and hunger in Hawaiʻi is a state of emergency.

One in three households experiences food insecurity — more than 250,000 people on Oʻahu alone. Families are skipping meals, kūpuna are choosing between food and medicine, and keiki are going to school hungry. It’s not for lack of food — it’s a matter of affordability and political priorities.

Hawaiʻi’s food banks are under unprecedented strain and recent federal funding cuts to USDA’s TEFAP program (he Emergency Food Assistance Program), reductions in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) allotments, and pending federal cuts to SNAP and Medicaid are further fueling the crisis.