Statewide partnerships to expand use of locally-sourced foods in Hawaiʻi public school meals
State leaders signed a memorandum of agreement to formalize a statewide partnership to expand the use of locally sourced foods in Hawaiʻi public school meals and strengthen Hawaiʻi’s agricultural and food systems.
The agreement supports the implementation of Act 137 and advances the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s ongoing efforts to increase local food procurement, including its goal of sourcing 30% of school meal ingredients locally by 2030.
“Today reflects our shared commitment to feeding our keiki locally sourced, nutritious school meals, investing in our agricultural community, and strengthening the resilience of our food systems,” First Lady Jaime Kanani Green said. “This is what shared kuleana looks like. Healthy meals are an investment in Hawaiʻi’s children, their ability to learn, and their long-term well-being.”
The agreement establishes a framework for state departments and agencies to coordinate expertise, infrastructure planning, workforce development, and agricultural scaling efforts needed to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s local food supply chain.
“We are grateful to our fellow state agencies and our legislators for partnering with us in this work,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “The Department has made steady progress in expanding the use of locally sourced foods in our school meals, and today’s agreement strengthens that momentum through coordinated statewide support for our schools, local farmers, and food producers.”
As part of the effort, the Department of Education will continue developing a statewide regional kitchen network to support public schools. The network is designed to increase scratch cooking capacity, improve operational efficiency, and create larger, more predictable markets for local agricultural producers.
The first regional kitchen facility, currently under construction in Whitmore Village, is expected to begin operations in fall 2027.
Other participating agencies and partners will support the effort through initiatives such as agricultural mapping, crop research, workforce development, economic analysis, transportation planning, and technical assistance to help local producers scale operations to meet school meal demand.
As an example, the state Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity will coordinate statewide GIS mapping of key agricultural commodities needed for the regional kitchen network in collaboration with the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience and the Agribusiness Development Corporation.
The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism will conduct economic studies on scaling agricultural commodities and identify funding opportunities and technical assistance for local farmers. The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience will create crop suitability maps to identify optimal growing regions and conduct research aimed at improving crop yields.
The full agreement can be found online.
30 state employees are certified as trauma-informed professionals
The first cohort of state employees earned the State of Hawaiʻi’s Certification in Trauma-Informed Care last week after completing an eight-module hybrid program.
Developed by the Office of Wellness and Resilience, the program is the first trauma-informed care certification in the state and is a cornerstone of Gov. Josh Green’s 2024 executive order committing Hawaiʻi to becoming a trauma-informed state.
The program pairs in-person workshops with asynchronous video trainings hosted online by the Department of Human Resources Development. Coursework covers the science of trauma and resilience, the principles of trauma-informed care, and the application of those principles in the workplace, and was shaped by Hawaiʻi’s culture, strong sense of place, and the realities of historical and intergenerational trauma experienced by Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.
The cohort includes employees from across state departments and partner agencies, with about 200 workers enrolled in the program’s first phase. The certification is now open to nearly all executive state department employees, with plans to extend it to our other branches of government, county workers and community-based organizations.
“This first cohort represents what’s possible when we put hope and healing at the heart of public service,” said Gov. Josh Green. “These graduates are bringing a deeper understanding of trauma and resilience into every interaction they have with the people of Hawaiʻi. That is how we build a healthier state.”
One of the key recommendations of The State of Well-Being Report, the state’s first comprehensive look at the mental health and well-being of Hawaiʻi’s essential workforce, noted that targeted training programs as a universal support and intervention for all state employees.
“Our clients work with some of the most vulnerable populations in the state. They are exposed daily to secondary trauma, and so are we as the attorneys who advise them,” said Deputy Attorney General James Walther, who is part of the inaugural cohort. “This training gave us good insight and practical tools to use with each other and with our clients, helping us listen and respond in ways that don’t add to someone’s trauma.”
The online modules can be found on the Department of Human Resources Development’s training website. To learn more, visit the Office of Wellness and Resilience Learning and Leadership Collaborative website.
Hawai‘i State Department of Health highlights mental health impacts from vaping
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health is highlighting the connection between nicotine use and mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and lowered self-confidence.
Emerging research and statewide data reveal that nicotine use can contribute to or intensify mental health challenges over time. Some data includes:
Nicotine use in Hawaiʻi: Eight out of 10 teens and young adults (ages 15-24) in Hawaiʻi who have used e-cigarettes said they started vaping because they thought it would decrease stress, anxiety, or depression.
Impact on well-being: Vaping can become tied to routine and social connections, often leading to withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, or lower self-confidence.
Benefits of quitting: 90% of those who quit reported feeling less stressed, anxious, or depressed, and many also felt a stronger sense of mental well-being and experienced more meaningful connections with others after quitting.
One Hawaiʻi resident in recovery shared that nicotine use was once a constant part of daily life, often tied to stress, anxiety, and isolation. However, since quitting and entering a long-term treatment program, they’ve experienced greater clarity and stability.
Angela, a Hawaiʻi resident in recovery, credited the Habilitat Health and Wellness program on Oʻahu with helping her become and stay tobacco-free.
“After five months of smoking, it was difficult for me to breathe while lying on my back, I was unable to go upstairs without having to catch my breath and overall I felt bad,” Angela said. “Quitting was very challenging for me – I was on edge and felt like crying almost every day until I got the nicotine replacement therapy.”
To shed light on the financial and emotional toll of nicotine, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health launched its Unsubscribe and Next Move campaigns, which address vaping among young adults and teens by reframing the conversation around cost, control, and independence while connecting audiences to free, local support to quit.
This year, the Hawaiʻi Tobacco Quitline celebrates 20 years of providing free, confidential, and convenient phone and online services to help individuals quit tobacco and vaping. For support in quitting, call 1-800-784-8669.
The Hawaiʻi Tobacco Quitline also offers “My Life, My Quit,” a free and confidential program with trained coaches to help youth up to 17 years old quit smoking or vaping. For more information or to sign up, visit the My Life, My Quit website.
