Hawaiʻi Good Food Alliance

The Hawaiʻi Good Food Alliance (HGFA) is a statewide 501(c)(3) network of community-based organizations, farmers, food hubs, and healthcare partners working to advance a more equitable and resilient food system across Hawaiʻi. Our work centers Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities and other populations disproportionately impacted by food insecurity and diet-related disease, while also strengthening local agricultural economies.

Food is Medicine is foundational to HGFA’s work and is one of our five guiding pillars. This approach is deeply rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems in Hawaiʻi, where food, health, and ʻāina (land) are inherently connected and have been for generations. Our current programs build on this legacy while integrating with the work of key partners—including Kōkua Kalihi Valley (KKV), Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Waimānalo Health Center, and Farm Link Hawaiʻi—as well as the farmers and food producers who sustain our local food system.

Food is Medicine is a holistic understanding of food as a living, relational pathway to healing and collective wellbeing, rooted in reciprocal relationships among land, water, people, ancestors, and spirit. When food is grown, gathered, prepared, and shared with reverence and cultural knowledge, it nourishes physical, mental, spiritual, and community health while sustaining balance and abundance for all beings.

Our approach to Food is Medicine is rooted in Hawaiʻi’s unique cultural values and local food landscape. In many indigenous cultures, including Native Hawaiian culture, the concept of “food is medicine” is a foundational truth – food is more than calories or nutrients; it is a direct connection to the ‘āina (land) and a source of spiritual and physical wellness. We embrace this perspective by ensuring that Hawaiʻi’s Food is Medicine initiatives honor local traditions, promote indigenous and local ingredients, and strengthen connections between people and their ʻāina. In Hawaiʻi, good food is understood as a cornerstone of health and well-being, and our programs reflect that understanding.

HGFA implements a range of Food is Medicine interventions anchored in a community care hub model. Our core programs include produce prescription (PRx) initiatives that provide patients with regular boxes of fresh, locally grown produce, as well as pantry restocking programs designed to support households with consistent access to healthy food.

Current pilots typically run for 3–6 months and serve patients identified by healthcare providers as at risk for diet-related conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or food insecurity. In addition to food access, we are exploring opportunities to expand services to include medically tailored meals (MTMs), nutrition education, and culturally grounded food and health programming.

Beyond direct service delivery, HGFA plays a leadership role in advancing the Food is Medicine ecosystem in Hawaiʻi through convenings such as the ʻAha ʻAi Pono Summits, clinical education (CME workshops), and the development of a statewide Hawaiʻi Food is Medicine Coalition and annual FIM Summit.

Our Food is Medicine work is currently supported through a mix of philanthropic and grant funding, including Kaiser Permanente, the Danone Institute North America Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, and the LISC Healthy Food Access Fund. These investments have enabled us to pilot and refine program models, build partnerships, and demonstrate impact.

Looking ahead, we are actively working to align our programs with Hawaiʻi’s 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver to enable sustainable reimbursement for nutrition supports. We are also exploring opportunities to contract directly with managed care organizations (MCOs) and insurers to deliver Food is Medicine interventions as part of value-based care models. While long-term funding remains a challenge, we see strong potential for healthcare financing to sustain and scale this work.

We track a combination of health, food security, and economic outcomes. This includes pre- and post-intervention biometric data (such as A1C and blood pressure), patient-reported food security and dietary changes, and program participation metrics.

We also track food system impacts, including the number of local farmers engaged, dollars directed to local producers, and broader agricultural indicators. While data collection across healthcare and food systems can be complex, we are actively building integrated data infrastructure to support more seamless tracking, evaluation, and reporting. Early results are promising, particularly in improving food access and patient engagement.

1. Relationships are everything. Trust, pilina (relationship-building), and solidarity across communities, healthcare providers, and producers are essential to making Food is Medicine work.
2. Clear communication matters. Aligning expectations across sectors—healthcare, food systems, and community organizations—is critical for successful implementation.
3. “Do or do not. There is no try.” Start before it’s perfect. Piloting programs, learning in real time, and iterating has been key. Waiting for perfect systems or funding can delay meaningful impact.

Absolutely. Food is Medicine is central to HGFA’s mission and has significantly strengthened our ability to bridge healthcare and local food systems in ways that are culturally grounded and community-driven. This work has deepened our partnerships, expanded our impact, and reinforced the importance of investing in solutions that support both human and environmental health.