Hawaii is one of 22 states to be chosen for a federal partnership to boost economic opportunities for local farmers and other businesses promoting childhood wellness via access to healthy local food in the Honolulu area of Kakaako Makai, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday.
The “Local Foods, Local Places” initiative involves six federal agencies and the Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state agency regulating development in Kakaako, which will focus on identifying food-based projects that will spur greater investment and stewardship in the area, enhancing local food production, integrating food security initiatives with community and transit-oriented development planning and reducing stormwater runoff and vulnerability to sea level rise.
The selected communities were chosen from more than 300 applicants. Each Local Foods, Local Places community will work with a team of experts who will help community members recognize local assets and opportunities, set goals for revitalizing downtown areas and neighborhoods, develop an implementation plan, and identify targeted resources from the participating federal agencies to help implement those plans.
The initiative, launched in 2014, is a partnership among the EPA, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Transportation, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Delta Regional Authority.
Duane Shimogawa
Reporter
Pacific Business News