Peralta, Sam (Kamuela)

Peralta, Sam (Kamuela)

Office Seeking: State Representative, District 9 (Kahului, Puʻunēnē, Old Sand Hills, Maui Lani)

Party: Democrat
Website: samforhawaii.com

Food security is defined by the USDA as "access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life." How will your platform address food insecurity in Maui County?

Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. Is our state motto. The law is in the land. Food security defined by Hawaiʻi comes from ahupuaʻa land management. Continuity, responsibility, and respect from the mauna all the way to the horizon. Education has been colonized and used to denigrate indigenous and cultural modes of being. We need to get kids out of classrooms and into their natural environment making land sustainability and food sustainability the new common core for Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi does not have a food insecurity issue, the people do. We need to stop fear, control, and manipulation of natural resources and let the land continue to lead and do what it does. Our job is to get out of the way and stop greed, selfish ambition and apathy from destroying our island.

Please list any initiatives you have supported in Maui County to increase food access and food production that you are proud of:

• 3 year volunteer at George Kahumoku Farms once a week

• 1 year volunteer at Lakahea farms with Youth with A Mission with Uncle Bobby and Windsom

• Multiple partnerships with Food Security Maui

• 3 years restoration at Pihana farm in Happy Valley with Calvin Rich

• Studies Environmental Politics and University of Hawaii West Oahu

• Goes to Upcountry farmers market most Saturdays to purchase produce

• Mostly saves all my papaya seeds to replant

• Loves farmers and farming!

Hawaiʻi imports roughly 85% of our food supply. How will your platform address increasing local food production?

Education reform. Each house should be a mini food island. Education reform is of most importance. Replace fear tactics with food tactics. Monthly field trips to farms, local leaders sharing and teaching in classrooms, nonprofits and organizations setting up lunch and recess activities. Increasing the vibrancy and diversity in our schools (just like the ʻāina) will help Hawaiʻi to grow. We also need to educate students on the effects of high preservatives, chemicals, saturated oils, and fried foods in the long run. Overall exampling and promoting a healthy lifestyle instead of injecting fear and compliance over our youth.

Please indicate your position on the following policies:

1. Creating County funding mechanisms to support DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks. SUPPORT

2. Increasing local food procurement for Maui County schools. SUPPORT

3. Increasing Farm to School initiatives including school gardens. SUPPORT

4. Pursuing County Farm to Food Bank Funding. SUPPORT

5. Developing regional organic waste and composting services. SUPPORT

6. Restructuring the Department of Water Supply and Department of Wastewater to encourage strategies for conservation, efficient water use, storage, and growing water resources. SUPPORT

7. Increasing the budget for the Maui County Department of Agriculture. SUPPORT

8. Offering subsidies to local farms that have shown the ability to sustain production. SUPPORT

9. Supporting policies that allow for increased affordable housing for farmworkers. SUPPORT

10. Improving policies around hunting and utilizing invasive protein sources. SUPPORT

11. Funding updated shared processing facilities, including slaughterhouses and food hubs. SUPPORT

12. Implementing new inspection policies to reduce the spread of invasive species. SUPPORT

13. Establishing local control of water resources through a Maui County Community Water Authority, with the ability to establish regional community boards. SUPPORT

Please elaborate on any of your above positions here.

Anything we need to be sustainable and take care of our natural resources is of upmost importance. These issues is Hawaiʻis heartbeat. We need to detox from the current political violent structures and move into this new divergent mode of being. Hawaii should be the global leader in this upcoming society. We need to make our people ready for it, or someone else will take our place.

Are there other issues, County-wide or within your own residency area, about food security that concern you, and how do you plan to address these issues if elected?

Public school food waste should be used for compost. Also schools should be using produce from local farmers. Period. I will make a policy that makes streamlining this process for schools and farmers have a mutually beneficial relationship.