Prominent food justice author Andy Fisher to speak at UH Manoa
Why do wealthy countries like the U.S. continue to struggle with food insecurity?
HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — Andy Fisher, author of Big Hunger: The Unholy Alliance Between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups, will speak at the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) at Mānoa on the evening of September 12. Fisher will discuss the reasons why hunger persists in wealthy countries like the United States, and how it can be solved.
WHAT: Why hasn’t hunger been solved in the U.S.? A public address by Andy Fisher
WHEN: Thursday, September 12, 2019, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Moot Courtroom, William S. Richardson School of Law, UH Mānoa
The event is free and open to the public. Doors to the lecture at will open at 6:00 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. event. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. On-campus parking is available for $6. The facility is ADA accessible. Registration and more information can be found at this link.
Even in the 21st century, hunger is a critical issue in Hawai‘i. According to a 2017 Feeding America analysis, 1 in 9 island residents struggle with food insecurity, including 1 in 6 children. However, unlike in the developing world, Hawai’i residents who struggle to put food on the table are often the same individuals who battle with diet-related chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney failure.
“With the costs of food up to 80 percent higher than prices on the mainland, it makes sense that struggling families would choose the cheapest foods they can find, which tend to be high in salt, sugar and fat, and low in essential nutrients,” says Daniela Spoto, Director of Anti-Hunger Initiatives at Hawaiʻi Appleseed for Law & Economic Justice. “We need to find solutions that focus on the root causes of hunger, and ensure that everyone—regardless of their income—have access to good, healthy food.”
Fisher’s book, Big Hunger: The Unholy Alliance Between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups (2017), aims to make that connection. The book takes a critical look at our current system of addressing hunger in the United States, and offers solutions that focus not on charity, but on addressing food insecurity at its source. These solutions include both improving public health and reducing income inequality.
Prior to his talk, Mr. Fisher will be meeting with farmers, food banks, food-justice advocates, and social service providers about innovative anti-hunger initiatives on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island. One such initiative recently funded by the state legislature is known as Double Up Food Bucks. This program offers SNAP users dollar-for-dollar incentives when they use their benefits to purchase locally grown produce.
Hawaiʻi food banks are also leading the way in creating partnerships with farmers to make sure more fresh food is available to food pantry clients. Initiatives like these ensure that hungry families have access to fresh, healthy food, and also keep more capital circulating in the local economy—both upstream solutions to addressing food insecurity.
As the founder of the Community Food Security Coalition, Mr. Fisher has been a leading force in the food security and justice movement for the past 25 years. He led national campaigns that have brought over $200 million to community groups for food security and farm-to-school projects.
Fisher’s public talk is presented by the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and the UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Co-sponsors include: The UH College of Social Sciences, The Food Basket, the Hawaiʻi Good Food Alliance, Kahala Hotel & Resort, Public Policy Center, UH Alumni Relations, and the UH Better Tomorrow Speaker Series.
Fisher makes regular appearances on television and radio. He is available for on-air or advance interviews in Hawaiʻi from September 10–13.
