History

Since our founding in 2019, the Maui Nui Food Alliance has worked to bring together diverse community interests from Maui, Molokai and Lānaʻi to support and promote a healthy food system for our future, grounded in the values of collaboration, stewardship, and hope, while honoring the Native Hawaiian traditions of Maui Nui’s past.


The Maui Nui Food Alliance first met in May 2019 for Inaugural Action Planning meetings hosted by the Maui County Healthy Eating + Active Living (HEAL) Coalition and Blue Zones Project Central Maui. The two-day gathering convened over 90 diverse food system experts, including farmers, ranchers, healthcare workers, and public health professionals, to discuss Maui County’s current food system.


With the facilitation support of Dr. Maggie Adamek — who has worked in communities across Hawai‘i, the mainland, and Indian Country to strengthen food sovereignty, create effective collaborations that lead to food systems change, and build healthier communities — the Maui Nui Food Alliance formed with a common vision for the future food system for Maui County, one that is sustainable, regenerative and economic.

Maui County food system leaders from Blue Zones Project Central Maui and the Maui County Healthy Eating + Active Living (HEAL) Coalition met in May 2019 to launch the Maui Nui Food Alliance's Inaugural Action Planning meetings, hosting Senator Lynn DeCoite as the keynote speaker.

At the Inaugural Action Planning, experts in the room were nominated for a short-term working group that would assist in nominating and building the MNFA Steering Committee. The elected Maui Nui Food Alliance Steering Committee, which consists of 16 individuals from various food system sectors on Maui, Molokai and Lānaʻi, convened in fall of 2019 to draft the MNFA Strategic Plan.


The Maui Nui Food Alliance is guided by the following Strategic Priorities:

Promote a culture of health.

We work to ensure Maui Nui residents have access to local food options and opportunities to build habits that contribute to their health and the health of our islands.


Plan for our food future.

We gather information, data, analyses, and input to ensure Maui County has plans in place for actions to grow our local food production and consumption.


Advocate for impact.

We band together to amplify our voice and influence policies and structures that support a strong and healthy local food system.

In February 2020, members from MNFA's elected Steering Committee met at the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens in Kahului to discuss MNFA's mission, vision and values to guide MNFA's efforts to improve Maui County's food system.

Questions?

Contact us at MauiNuiFoodAlliance@gmail.com