Insights in Public Health

The State of Hawai‘i imports more than 92% of its food¹ including 90% of our beef, 67% of our vegetables, 65% of our fruit and a staggering 80% of our milk.² Despite having an agricultural industry that is capable of supplying the local need for produce, 40% of produce in the state is left in fields un-harvested or sent to the landfill as unsellable waste.³ Hawai‘i generates more than 164,000 tons of food waste a year.⁴ This is not a local phenomenon; food waste on a global scale is astronomical. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, food waste is second only to paper in terms of volume wasted.⁵ Yet, while over 60% of paper is recycled, only 3% of food waste is efficiently reused.⁵ This level of waste has economic, social and environmental impacts that are increasingly difficult to ignore. Global concerns like hunger, obesity, food scarcity, and climate change have brought the issue of food waste to the forefront of international discussions.

In 2012 alone, more than 36 million tons of food waste was generated globally, with only five percent diverted from landfills and incinerators for composting.⁵ This level of waste is occurring in a world where almost 1 billion people go hungry every day.⁶ In Hawai‘i, a state in which 19.2% of households are food insecure on a daily basis, the last comprehensive report by the City and County of Honolulu noted that 25,000+ tons of food waste are disposed of at the Waimanalo Gulch each year.^7–8

Hawai‘i is unique given its geographic isolation, the high shipping costs, dependence on imported food, and large visitor industry and military presence. How do we creatively decrease our reliance on imported food, encourage the consumption of locally grown produce, support the local agricultural industry, transform cosmetically imperfect produce into value-added products, and use modern food rendering techniques to make the most value from what is produced in our state? In order to curb food waste, Hawai‘i must develop more efficient practices and policies including new methods of food distribution, waste recycling and rendering, embracing off-grade produce and make them marketable and attractive to the food industry and consumers. Creatively curbing food waste can potentially inspire new opportunities for economic development through the promotion of value-added products.

Sources of Food Waste

Identifying sources of food waste is critical. Crop shrink is a metric that evaluates the difference between the volume of edible crops available to be harvested and the actual volume that is sold for human consumption.⁹ The shrinkage can happen at a variety of stages along the production line. A crop can be eliminated prior to harvest (pre-harvest shrink), can remain in the field/orchard post harvest due to cosmetic grading (in-situ culls), and lastly, once it leaves the field/orchard it can be eliminated at the packing facility and therefore never makes it to the store.⁹

One contributing element to crop shrink is the developed world's obsession with cosmetically perfect looking fruit and vegetables. Consumer demand for perfect looking produce has resulted in a system from farm to store that eliminates 40% of all food produced and upwards of 60% of common crops.⁹ This amounts to $165 billion in wasted produce annually.⁹ It is important to note that consumers are not solely responsible for this waste due to their discerning eye. The concept of “ideal” food has been slowly formed over time through government policy (USDA regulations require produce to be 90% blemish-free) and marketing.¹⁰ We have been programmed to believe that perfect fruit not only tastes better but is better for us. Both of these assumptions are entirely wrong. Decades of preferential breeding for uniformity and resiliency has basically resulted in mainstream produce that is nutritionally deficient and lacks flavor. Organic farming that produces heartier varieties of produce that are not necessarily aesthetically perfect and need not travel so far to the consumer is one way that farmers are avoiding dreaded losses and returning flavor and nutrients to the consumer.

Reducing Food Waste

Reducing food waste in Hawai‘i is not a new concept. In January of 1997, the Honolulu City Council passed Ordinance 96-20 that requires large hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, hospitals and food manufacturers/processors to recycle food waste.¹¹ While there are costs incurred to separately collect the food waste, waste disposal costs are lowered by weight thus allowing businesses to actually reap economic rewards from being food waste conscious. While it is “law,” ensuring compliance is impossible since participation is voluntary not mandatory. The Department of Environmental Services admits that the amount “of food waste to recycle may depend on upon your company's commitment to community service, economic benefit, and availability of recycling service.”¹¹ Given the scale of Hawai‘i's food waste problem, the soft approach is too permissive. The beginnings of addressing the issue have been present on Hawai‘i's law books for almost 20 years however enforcement has not.

Locally-Grown Initiatives

To meet the challenges presented by food waste, multi-faceted, public-private, creative schemes must be developed. In Hawai‘i there are a number of local initiatives that are finding ways to tackle the complicated issues regarding food waste. They range from food re-distribution warehouses and airfreight discounts, to waste-to-soil amendment products.

The Hawai‘i Food Basket is a local example of an organization that is seeking to reduce food waste by channeling off-grade/surplus produce into the hands of those who need it most. This Hawai‘i Island initiative serves as a clearinghouse for all kinds of foods so that local farmers and retailers can “discard” their surplus through the Food Basket to needy individuals and families and those who are disabled or ill.¹² Another local example of a food aggregator is the KTA Superstores on Hawai‘i Island. Begun over 20 years ago when the Hawai‘i sugar industry was in decline, KTA committed to saving local farms. They now support 80 farms that produce 285 different products from local milk, eggs, and beef to produce and value added products like bread and cakes.¹ These food hubs and retailers also serve as distribution centers for smaller-scale farmers by aggregating and delivering the produce to larger retailers and restaurants. They give smaller farms access to large retailers that they would not otherwise have access to and thus reduce crop waste. In addition, these wholesalers allow farmers and retailers to have fewer buyers to negotiate with, reduce their transportation costs, offer reliable cold storage, and provide marketing expertise.

Another example of a local initiative that is offering creative ways to encourage the use of off-grade produce is the No Waste Project (aka Chefs Huli Hui). This innovative project seeks to connect local farmers and manufacturers who have surplus/off-grade produce with restaurants, schools, and other food service providers who can quickly take the produce off their hands.³ The aim is to encourage local farmers to continue producing healthy locally grown products and reduce food waste at the same time.

The Farm-to-School concept is also an important way to reduce food waste. This concept is not a new one, but has met a number of barriers in Hawai‘i ranging from insufficient produce to supply all of Hawai‘i's public schools equally and the budget prohibitions that disallow schools to make any budgetary sacrifices in order to buy locally. Most importantly however is the difficulty that many local farms have meeting food-safety guidelines. This also applies to school gardens whose produce cannot be eaten on campus. One exception are charter schools that are exempt from some of these rules and could be the ideal place to pilot successful farm-to-school programs. State support should continue and schools can work towards establishing food safety guidelines so they can actually eat the food they grow. A study conducted by the University of California at Berkley found that children who engaged in school gardening programs were not only more versed in the importance of food and nutrition and the environment but they also consumed between 1–2 servings more of fruits and vegetables daily.^13–14 The long-term impact of school gardening and cooking programs is measurable. In July 2015, Governor Ige signed SB 376 (Act 213) — Relating to Farm to School Program, into law.¹⁴ The bill creates a Farm to School program along with a coordinator position within the Department of Agriculture to oversee the process of procuring local agriculture for Hawai‘i's schools.¹⁴ The impetus behind the bill was not to address food waste but rather to encourage children to understand their food sources and eat more fruit and vegetables. Nevertheless, it is a step towards addressing one of the underlying causes of food waste in the state.

Farmers' Markets

Public-private partnerships are key to the success of any program that seeks to encourage the growth and viable use of all locally grown produce. Land is a valuable commodity in Hawai‘i and is an issue that constantly puts agricultural interests at odds with developers responding to calls for more housing. However, one successful partnership was established with Aloha Air Cargo and the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau Federation. Neighbor island farmers can receive a 35% discount on airfreight services, making it more affordable to bring their produce to market both here in Hawai‘i and off-island.¹⁵ The recent growth in farmers' markets in Hawai‘i has been impressive. The USDA cites that Hawai‘i is one of the top ten states for growth of farmers' markets in the last 10 years, with over 25 farmer's markets currently on Oahu alone serving over a million consumers annually.¹⁶ In addition to the obvious health benefits of eating fresh produce that is locally grown, farmers' markets are the ideal venue for farmers to sell their surplus as well as off-grade and value-added produce at a lower cost to buyers. First established in Kalihi in 1973, the People's Open Market Program was specifically designed to “support the economic viability of diversified agriculture and aquaculture in Hawai‘i by providing market sites for local farmers, fishermen…to sell their surplus and off-grade produce…at low cost…and provide a focal point for residents to socialize.”¹⁷

Value-added products using off-grade produce can range from fruit butters, leathers and jams to soups and juices to instant kulolo from dried unsold poi, to baked goods and frozen foods. Given Hawai‘i's growing popularity of farmer's markets and the Made in Hawai‘i show, there is most certainly an outlet for off-grade produce that can be sold below market cost or even given gratis to the manufacturer that still allows some profit to the farmer, reduces the amount of food deposited in landfills, and fills a niche economic market. Additionally, because the produce used is cheaper to acquire, the cost of end products can be priced for the local market, making them more affordable than the imported alternative. The aforementioned KTA Superstores has adopted this model and has created its own brand (Mountain Apple Brand) that has multiple value-added products that use off-grade ingredients.¹

Food Waste into Energy

Along with the economic and social benefits of reducing food waste there are the environmental benefits of preventing millions of tons of human-related, methane producing food waste from reaching our landfills. According to the EPA, 20% of all methane produced in American landfills is from food waste.¹⁸ This is in addition to the considerable energy (water, pesticides, fertilizers and energy) expended to produce food that is unsold. Using food waste by recycling it into compost that improves soil health, also known as “soil amendment,” is one efficient remedy for food waste. Another is to turn it into renewable energy. Hawai‘i, being very dependent on imported oil for our energy needs, should be at the forefront of these kinds of initiatives. Two such initiatives exist on Oahu. The Sand Island Waste Water Treatment Plant processes food waste into fertilizer pellets. Begun in 2009, the plant can now divert 25% of landfill waste into pellets.⁷ The Kailua, Wahiawa, and Honolulu Waste Water Treatment Plants has contracted with Hawaiian Earth Products to turn 100,000 tons a year of green, food, and sewage waste into a marketable soil amendment product.⁷

Future Possibilities

The environmental, economic, and social consequences of unrestrained food waste are difficult to ignore and any Hawai‘i effort to curb waste must be approached from all three angles. Local and government level initiatives that feed the food insecure, curb crop waste, find value in off-grade produce and turn waste into energy are making a slow but important start towards reducing food waste on a global scale. The geographic isolation and relatively small population that makes Hawai‘i unique also creates an opportunity for making inroads into increasing self-sufficiency and reducing food waste that can be modeled elsewhere. A number of Hawai‘i-grown organizations are attempting to address food waste on their own (eg, Ulupono, Huli Huli, KTA). However there are few state-wide, government led policy-level initiatives that seek to address the larger environment, social, and economic aspects of the issue in order to give it the attention it needs. If approached from the economic enhancement perspective, it is easier to get government and industry to buy into policies and programs that enhance the production of local food and fund local and larger food distribution hubs; however it is often not enough. An increase of local production of food of only 10% could employ thousands and keep valuable resources in-state.² Valuing off-grade produce by channeling it into schools, the hospitality industry, and the military is another way that food waste can be reduced. Offering tax incentives for food donations from farms, distribution hubs, retailers, hotels, restaurants, the military, is another. Supporting farmers with tax incentives for harvesting their entire crop and then donating the surplus and off-grade product to food banks or other food distribution hubs can also curb waste.

Losses in production, distribution, retailing, and at the household level can be minimized by setting targets and making people/retailers/restaurants/hotels/farmers accountable to them. A state-wide goal, a food waste reduction of 15% for example, can then be used as an impetus for all sectors of society to evaluate how they contribute to food waste and what they can do to address it. An effort of this kind takes coordination between multiple government agencies (Health, City and County, Education, Finance, Military) and private sector agencies like the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Tourism Authority, and the Hawai‘i Restaurant Association. If the European Union can be united enough to agree to tackle food waste,¹⁹ then surely the State of Hawai‘i can do the same. A joint effort that focuses on increasing food donations to food banks/needy populations and decreasing landfill-bound food waste is a promising place to start addressing the larger issues. Government-led initiatives, like those established by the European Union, to reduce food waste by 50% by 2020 can be looked at as models that states like Hawai‘i can follow.¹⁹ If Hawai‘i accepts that the reduction of food waste is a “pono” thing to do because of its social (ethical), economic, and severe environmental impacts then it is in a better position than the national government that does not have any stance on food waste at all. For example, if the Hawai‘i Restaurant Association sets guidelines to encourage proprietors to purchase off-grade produce this could have a major impact on the 40% of crops that go unsold each year. Growing the distribution channels for cosmetically imperfect produce is significant. Public waste management companies are often at the forefront of recycling programs. Hawai‘i is no exception. With the City and County of Honolulu already pursuing innovative soil amendment and energy-transforming efforts, they are an excellent choice to lead the environmental charge against food waste.

Lastly, public education is key to any initiative. Children in local schools should be required to have gardens to emphasize the value of fresh foods. Campaigns to inform consumers about the value of eating cosmetically imperfect produce, similar to the Ugly Fruits and Vegetables and Feed the 5000 campaigns in Europe, would be useful, particularly if combined with an effort by locally owned and operated supermarkets (Foodland, KTA, etc) to sell off-grade produce at a discount. Once Hawai‘i consumers learn to value their food, they are more likely to buy local, in smaller quantities, and embrace “off-grade” produce as equal in taste and nutrition. In Hawai‘i's burgeoning foodie scene, restaurants and higher-end retailers can go a long way to promote the value of local and off-grade produce by proving that they can be equally delicious and nutritious as their imported counterparts.

Conclusion

Food waste is a global problem that can be solved at the local level. Hawai‘i is in an exceptional position to make inroads into its own food waste problem. Given our geographic isolation, reliance on imported food, environmental vulnerability, high percentage of population being food insecure, and the luxury of rich soil and a longer growing season, we have no excuse not to make swift changes that can have real impact. Coordinated efforts between government and industry can go a long way to set the example needed to educate the public about food waste so that the issue is addressed from the individual onwards. It is possible to reduce food waste, protect the environment and feed the hungry without sacrificing the economic viability of the consumer, the producer or the retailer. This should be a social policy priority.