Can Maui Vegans Help Build a Sustainable Food System?
Over the years we’ve addressed a variety of complex and challenging topics. Few issues are more difficult than how Maui vegans can help build a more sustainable food system.
The stakes are high. Estimates from University of Hawaii and other experts find that Hawaii imports 85-90% of its food. The consequences include supply chain fragility, high prices, environmental harm, cultural disconnection, economic leakage and disaster vulnerability.
We’ve suggested 14 Ways to Promote Food Independence on Maui, but are individual actions enough? Can Maui vegans contribute to larger initiatives that address systemic barriers to food independence?
The Challenge
A viable Maui food system requires thousands of acres in production and millions in infrastructure investment. Advocates face a daunting set of challenges, including land access and affordability, water allocation, labor costs and shortages, inadequate and decaying infrastructure, pest and invasive species control, farmland affordability, insufficient data collection, climate change and price competition from cheaper mainland imports.
The vegan farming community on Maui is tiny. Working only within this bubble means accepting irrelevance on the systemic issues that actually determine whether local food production increases.
The infrastructure needed to increase food sufficiency doesn't exist in vegan-only form. Shared processing facilities, distribution networks, land access programs, farming education, policy advocacy, and market aggregation are all controlled or significantly influenced by organizations that either directly support animal agriculture or work with farms that practice it. The policy levers that matter (water rights, land use, agricultural zoning, farm-to-institution programs, infrastructure investment) aren't segregated by dietary philosophy.
For example, vegans who want to influence county council decisions on cold storage facilities or school procurement policies will find themselves in rooms with conventional farmers, ranchers, and their representatives.
So where do vegan growers and advocates of plant-based food systems draw the line? Are any trade-offs acceptable? There are no easy answers.
Actions to Consider
Fighting for food sovereignty will require you to make a series of judgment calls guided by your ethics and instincts. Here are some options to consider:
Support farmers markets and community supported agriculture programs (CSAs).
Advocate for county investment in shared infrastructure, like cold storage facilities and distribution networks.
Consider joining Hawaii Farmers Union United (HFUU), the main lobbying voice for small farmers in Hawaii. More members means more political power to change policies affecting local agriculture.
Follow organizations like HFUU and Common Ground Collective for legislative alerts.
Testify at county council meetings or submit written testimony on agricultural policies.
Track the evolving Maui County Food and Nutrition Security Plan 2025-2030 Food and Nutrition Security Plan that was launched in April 2025 with a goal of creating measurable change by 2030. Review the document and address questions or concerns to agriculture@co.maui.hi.us or (808) 270-8276.
Support policies favorable to small‑farms, farm‑to‑school connections, and greater land access for growers.
Fill out surveys, attend community meetings, and provide input on what infrastructure and services are needed.
Pressure institutions (schools, hospitals, hotels, government cafeterias) to commit to local purchasing.
The System Won’t Change Itself
Every vegan who shows up at a county meeting, joins a farmer organization, or pushes for better infrastructure moves the needle toward a food system that's less dependent on ships crossing the Pacific. Will you sometimes find yourself in coalition with ranchers? Yes. Will the cold storage facility you advocate for also store meat? Probably. But here's what also happens: more land gets protected for agriculture instead of luxury development. More kids eat local produce in school cafeterias. More small farmers, including vegans, get access to the tools they need to survive.
The organizations, policies, and infrastructure being built today will determine what's possible for the next generation of Maui farmers. Vegans can either have a seat at the table or watch from the sidelines as others decide the future of local food. The work is messy, but the alternative is staying dependent on a supply chain that's one shipping disruption away from empty shelves. Pick your lever and push. The system won't change itself.