Food resilience through community gardens
by Hannah Rose Azouz
For decades, agricultural practitioners in Hawaiʻi have been pleading with communities to prepare for the inevitable upheaval of the unsustainable food system we currently rely on. Although local and organic farms are growing, 67% of produce is still imported—hardly reducing the 92% of consumed food shipped in from out of state and even outside of the country. Studies are showing produce loses 30% of it's nutritional value just three days after harvest and we have to wonder if the food shipped in is even valuable after the long journey (Chicago Tribune 2013). Conservation scientists have studied how intertwined communities of the Hawaiian Kingdom were purely reliant on this land before the start of imported goods (Kawika Winter 2019), but how do we get back to the bliss of self-sustainable food systems and ultimate resilience?
The murmur of food sovereignty turned into talks, yells, and screams in March 2020 as 40% of our local community lost their jobs, leaving us to witness and participate in food distribution lines with wait times up to 6 hours long. In 2012, the State acknowledged that these large importation numbers place residents at risk of food shortages, which we witnessed during the pandemic-induced economic disruption.
We are well aware of the problems, but let's talk solutions. Currently, the community garden program on Oʻahu hosts 10 locations and serves 2,000 gardeners, which sounds great until we realize this is only 0.0014% of our current population. Expanding community gardens to have one in every district, at every public park, and every new private development would be an incredible feat when a garden is walking distance from every resident without a yard. Enhancing accessibility to these gardens through expansion is a low budget opportunity for the State to directly support the physical, mental, and emotional health and wellness of each community.
Accessible community gardens provide puʻuhonua in urban environments for humans and wildlife alike, with public participation opportunities for residents of all ages from keiki to kupuna. In urban environments, more gardens will also provide oxygen buffers and watershed stabilization as kīpuka within the concrete jungles (Kaulunani Program). Socially distanced learning opportunities can take place in these garden settings, allowing students to receive outdoor education in current times away from classroom settings. Introducing younger generations to the fascinating process of turning a seed into a fruit, or watching a cutting grow roots creates interest in the agriculture field and furthers economic development and green career opportunities for participants. Nutritional dietary habits will expand as more locals are introduced to fruit and vegetables, incorporating fresh produce into their daily lives (Zick et al 2012). Gardening is also know to boost mental health as access to these spaces increases physical activity to release endorphins which combat stress, anxiety, and depression. Even crime rates have been known to drop in areas with more vegetation and community engagement.
The social capital opportunity improves the sense of community as it brings together people who would not normally socialize. Overall, benefits of more accessible community gardens empowers communities, mobilizes them into healthy action, and influences community organizing (Draper et al 2010). Promoting food security is at the foundation of expanding community gardens, as accessible gardens leads to more accessible food and bonus life skills learned along the way.
Imagine walking to school, and stopping by the community garden on the way to freshly pick your lunch.
Imagine a food oasis growing in the middle of concrete suburbia.
Imagine how strong our neighborhoods would be when we rely on each other as a community instead of imports.
Imagine Hawaiʻi setting an example for the rest of the world, leading in sustainability and community based food systems.
These ideas are not far fetched, people will always need food whether it be times of economic gain or loss, beautiful weather or natural disaster, health prosperity or crisis, shipping delivery or interruption. Health is wealth becomes a literal statement as we shy away from the $3 billion spent on annual food imports and invest in community garden food sustainability. Every ounce of food grown is financial currency kept inside the community instead of sending it out. Community gardens in each moku, ahupuaʻa, and neighborhood will increase the health as well as the wealth of each individual person growing food in these public spaces. Expansion of community gardens is more essential than ever, and will help our islands bounce back stronger than ever as we move forward one resilient step at a time.
Here we come food resilience! Learn more and find ways to get involved here.