On the tardy list: DOE ‘farm to school’ meals report

Feb 27, 2024

More than two months after the Hawaii Department of Education’s (DOE) 2023 Farm to School Meals report was due to the Legislature, elected officials — not to mention students and parents across the state — are still waiting on the report to be posted to the department’s website.

In 2021, lawmakers passed a bill to leverage the DOE’s immense purchasing power to help transform Hawaii’s food system while providing students with more nourishing food. In accordance with Act 175 (SLH 2021), the DOE goal is for 30 percent of food served in public schools to consist of locally sourced products by 2030. The department is also required to submit an annual report to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of each regular session.

With that date long passed, Honolulu Civil Beat’s Thomas Heaton recently reported on how the lack of reporting is leading many to conclude that the DOE is nowhere near meeting its mandate to buy local.

Photo Credit: Hawaii Department of Education