The Future of Food Security on Hawaiʻi Island.

Imagine a revolutionary campus dedicated to pioneering innovative solutions to Hawaiʻi's food scarcity and dependency problems. Our cutting-edge facilities and trailblazing research will transform the future of food production and sustainability in Hawaiʻi and beyond.

A bird's eye view stylized and simplified multi color rendering of the Hale Pueo campus layout. The surrounding area is shown rendered in very light shades of grey and white so the campus buildings stand out. The largest building, the campus Innovation center is shown closest to the camera in tourqouise. The second largest building is the campus Community Center and Food Bank. The planned build site for a farmers market, a support building, and retail building are also shown. The road layout shown in a slightly darker grey color suggests a main roadway extending off the public street to the center of the campus where the Central Truck Court is located.

Our Vision

The Food Basket is collaborating with forward-thinking partners to develop a 24.5-acre parcel of land in Hilo to support the production of safe, nutritious, fair & affordable food for our community.

Campus functions include food processing & distribution, agriculture training & production, and farm & business incubation.

Concept Diagrams

A map of Hawaii Island with an area of detail around the city of Hilo outlined in a red square. From this area of detail around Hilo, an enlarged map of the Hilo area is shown with another area of detail outlined within that which shows the area where the Hale Pueo campus planned build site is located. This area is shown as a small solid red rectangle located about half a mile south west of Hilo Bay.

Bird's eye photo-realistic rendering of a futuristic scene depicting a vast range of agriculture fields with superimposed glowing archs representing automated drone and communitcation paths for work to be done. Although futuristic, the scene looks like something that could actually be taking place now.

Value-Chain Development

Expanded support services for small farms to increase production, add value to their products and connect to larger markets.

A closeup photo of a group of colorful bread fruit products in shiny plastic packaging within a plastic basket suggestive of a scene of a shopper who is either shopping or who has just finished shopping.

Market Development

Increases access to infrastructure, services, and outlets for value-added agriculture products to farmers across Hawai'i Island.

Research, Extension & Workforce Development

Increases availability of skilled farm labor through on-site training programs and expert technical support.

The Food Basket's Hoʻolako project will benefit farmers, growers, and value-added processors across Hawaiʻi island by providing shared production facilities, mechanisms for networking, collaboration and partnership, and on-site access to technical support and farmer training. With its increased facility size and custom-built food processing spaces, The Food Basket will be able to expand its purchases of locally grown produce for distribution in island and state-wide programs.

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Processing Capacity of Local Staple Crops

The Food Basket and its partners are committed to investing in capacity-building centered on community-led decision making, data equity components, co-creating equity definitions and principles, determining equity-centered metrics, and a design process that prioritizes historically underserved and socially disadvantaged demographics within the population.

Our Partners

Join the over 100 collaborators who have already committed to the project.

Become A Partner

The Need is NOW!

Carol Ignacio, Tommy Kahikina Ching, and Chef Casey Halpern speak about the growing needs of our island and what this campus means to our island community.

Why us?

The Food Basket's urgency for needed infrastructure supports a viable, resilient local food system.

Our Opportunities

Collaborative Community Commitment

TFB uniquely aligns with the County of Hawai`i's commitment to building a future-facing resilient and transformative agriculture and food landscape and can partner on shared initiatives.

Collective Community Interest

With numerous supply chain vulnerabilities, the community's attention has turned to locally produced food. TFB is uniquely positioned to respond to this demand in a meaningful way.

Reciprocal Community Investment

By locally producing and offsetting just 10% of imported foods, $313 million stays local. TFB is committed to ending hunger in Hawai`i County, which requires substantial economic opportunities.

Food System Challenges

Our Community Is Food Insecure

Hawai`i is ranked 11th for food insecurity; 16.2% of the population is considered food insecure, a 41% increase from 2019. (Feeding America, March 2021)

Food Support Needs Have Increased By 500%

TFB clients grew from 14,000 to 84,000 per month during the pandemic; 50,000 clients now receive ongoing monthly support due to cost-of-living increases.

Our Local Food System Is Under Stress

Local farmers, manufacturers, and producers face rising labor, land, and energy costs. This prevents the scaling necessary to increase output and keep local food competitive.

Our Supply Chain is Vulnerable

Most of our food supply travels 2500+ miles before arriving on Hawai`i Island. Hurricanes, floods, and volcanic eruptions have been catastrophic to food access.

Campus Features

Unveiling the Future of Agricultural Innovation

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Become a Founding Partner

By supporting our project, you have the chance to leave a meaningful mark on Hawaiʻi and be at the forefront of this groundbreaking initiative. Your support will not only help propel Hawaiʻi to the forefront of agricultural innovation, but establish a legacy that will benefit Hawaiʻi for generations to come.

Inquire Here

Join A Distinguished Group of Local, National, and Global Leaders