‘Aina Pono is the Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) School Food Services Branch’s (SFSB) commitment to student health, protecting the environment, and advancing farm-to-school by purchasing fresh and local foods, greening school cafeterias, reducing waste, and supporting school gardens and nutrition, agriculture, health, and food education.
Isolated in a continent of ocean, Hawai‘i exists as a perpetual reminder of finite resources, fertile lands, and communities that are committed to the wellbeing of their keiki.
‘Aina Pono is an expression of the pride we have in food grown in these islands, the ingenuity of the people we trust to feed our keiki, and the collective strength to return our communities to a legacy of cultivating fresh, locally grown sustenance to build the minds of tomorrow.
‘Aina: meal
Pono: righteous
A cultural movement, returning to our roots.
Our keiki, food producers, and school nutrition staff return to the ‘aina and our heritage, creating nutritious, yummy school meals that kids want to eat — enhancing local food security, increasing operational efficiencies, and improving student health in the process.