In Hawaii, where 90% of food is imported, farmers who offset imbalance now face cuts

Since the Trump administration paused funds, local farmers say they're in survival mode.

Native Hawaiian farmer Kaina Makua was anticipating $470,000 from the federal government this year to quadruple his production of kalo, or taro, the ancestral crop that's pounded into the sticky, purple staple poi. In January, he found out the money wasn’t coming.

In Hawaii, where 90% of the food is imported, local farmers like Makua need boosts from federal funding so there is greater food security in the islands. State researchers have found an island needs to grow at least 50% of its staple crops — like kalo, ‘ulu (breadfruit) and ‘uala (sweet potato) — to be self-sufficient in a disaster.

Local farmers are not only critical to helping alleviate the rate of 1 in 3 households that are food insecure in Hawaii, but they also provide these staples and other produce to food banks and schools.

However, since the Trump administration paused funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and cut other U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, nearly $90 million in funding for Hawaii and Pacific region farms and food system organizations has been frozen or cut, according to the Oʻahu Resource Conservation and Development Council.

Kaina Makua holds kalo on his farm in Makaweli Valley, Kauai.Kumano I Ke AlaNow local farmers are “in survival mode,” as Makua said — scaling back and unsure how to make up the loss.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/hawaii-farmers-trump-cuts-rcna198550

---