Abstract
At the current time, Hawai‘i lacks an established set of benchmark estimates on the availability of food for market consumption and its supply sources. This paper serves to fill a persistent gap in the existing literature by providing an estimation framework to map the existing food supply flows from various sources and to determine the various levels of food consumption in Hawai‘i. The authors suggest modified measures of food self-sufficiency and import dependency to provide a more accurate assessment on the extent of food localization in Hawai‘i. The analytical framework presented in this paper can be applied to other small, open (island or regional) economies with a food localization agenda, as it provides a more discrete and appropriate set of measurements, as well as offering the lessons gained through Hawai‘i’s experience and challenges in the data-collating process. Local production and imports (continental United States and foreign countries) of consumable food in Hawai‘i are estimated at just over 1.14 million tonnes in 2010. Food exports totaled 175.5 thousand tonnes, leaving total available food for consumption locally at 966.6 thousand tonnes. On a de facto basis, per capita food consumption in Hawai‘i is estimated at 657.9 kilograms in 2010. At the food group level, fresh vegetables lead with per capita food consumption of 84.2 kilograms, followed by other proteins at 69.1 kilograms, fresh fruits at 67.7 kilograms, fresh milk at 62.9 kilograms, and rice at 27.9 kilograms. The analysis indicates that Hawai‘i has an overall food self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) of 15.7% and an overall food import dependency ratio (IDR) of 102.5%. While it appears counterintuitive that the IDR exceeds 100%, this figure actually indicates the existence of food imports into Hawai‘i that are then turned around and re-exported to other markets. With application of the more accurate localization ratio (LR), we estimate that only 11.6% of available food for consumption in Hawai‘i was actually sourced from local production in 2010. Likewise, the modified import dependency ratio (MIDR) indicates that an estimated 88.4% of available food in Hawai‘i was sourced from imports.
Highlights
In the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2007–2009, public concern, interest, and debate on food security and food self-sufficiency has intensified in Hawai‘i and elsewhere in the United States
Food supply analysis Given Hawai‘i’s rapid urbanizationbin one of the most geographically isolated areas, residents are naturally concerned about their overall food supply
This paper establishes a set of benchmark estimates on food available for market consumption and its supply sources in Hawai‘i. Overall, we estimated the total food available at 966.6 million kilograms, or a per capita consumption of 657.9 kilograms in 2010
Summary
In the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2007–2009, public concern, interest, and debate on food security and food self-sufficiency has intensified in Hawai‘i and elsewhere in the United States This concern is real and understandable, considering Hawai‘i’s geographic isolation in the Central Pacific Ocean, looming threats of global warming and climate change, and the 2008 food crisis, which showed serious vulnerabilities in the global food system. Director of the Agricultural Extension Service, Territory of Hawai‘i, wrote on the character and variety of foods consumed by people on the Islands He described the unique situation in Hawai‘i: “Probably nowhere else in the world is there to be found a group of similar racial proportions with as distinctly varied diet habits, isolated from a large part of their natural food supply.”a While changing diets have evolved since including the creation of Euro-Asian cuisine and the Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine movement, Warner’s insightful comment is still valid and relevant today
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
