Local agriculture to get boost as hotels join the City and County of Honolulu’s Oʻahu Good Food Pledge

HONOLULU -- More than 20 hotels and restaurants across the community have joined Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi in signing the Oʻahu Good Food Pledge and committing to buy more from local farmers. This is the next step forward in growing more fruits, vegetables, and proteins in Hawaiʻi and reducing the amount of imported food, currently at 85% of all food consumed in the islands.

“For every dollar spent on local food in Hawai'i, there is return of $1.60 to the local economy,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “That's an investment worth making. I am most appreciative the hospitality industry is stepping up to the local food plate to help improve Oʻahu's economy.”

“Authentic experiences on Oʻahu create once-in-a-lifetime memories for our visitors,” said Joe Ibarra, vice president and general manager of The Kahala Hotel & Resort. “Dining experiences with locally-grown food are essential to truly understanding the unique flavors of our island. I invite my colleagues in the hospitality industry to join us in the Oʻahu Good Food Pledge. Together, we can do great things for the agriculture community."

The O‘ahu Good Food Show is focused on supporting the local ag and food industry, which aligns with one of the actions in the community-based O‘ahu Destination Management Plan (DMAP).  The O‘ahu DMAP was developed by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority in partnership with the City’s Office of Economic Revitalization, the O‘ahu Visitors Bureau and a collaborative 23-member steering committee representing communities from around O‘ahu, the visitor industry, other sectors and government agencies that voiced the importance of our tourism industry prioritizing “buying local”, and supporting O‘ahu’s ag and food industry.

The Oʻahu Good Food show, held the same day as the pledge signing, connected the hotels with local farmers and entrepreneurs, creating new opportunities for local farmers to sell to influential hospitality buyers.

The hotels and restaurants join the first local companies to sign the Good Food Pledge in September 2022: Kamehameha Schools, Punahou School, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute, and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.

The O‘ahu Good Food Pledge is sponsored by the City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Economic Revitalization, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, the O‘ahu Visitors Bureau, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute, and the Center for Good Food Purchasing.

—PAU—