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‘AINA: meal
PONO: righteous
‘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.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text]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.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_column_text]‘Aina Pono is a commitment by the Hawai‘i State Department of Education, School Food Services Branch to:
- advance farm-to-school by purchasing local food, supporting school gardens, and advocating nutrition, agriculture, health, and food education
- nourish our keiki and customers through nutritious and delicious meals – including school breakfast, snacks, and lunch; summer meals; senior meals, and more
- bring together schools, food producers, kids, non-profits, and government to deliver fresh, local foods to school cafeterias
- empower school nutrition staff to create the meals kids want to eat and that support their health and learning
- empower students by giving them a voice in influencing the meals that nourish their bodies
- minimize our carbon footprint by reducing waste and utilizing eco-friendly products and materials
- support the career development of our employees through professional development and training
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Student Voice, Empowerment, and Satisfaction
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]It all starts with the students.
We know that students learn best when they have the fuel they need to focus and engage.
With ‘Aina Pono, we aim to
- give every student a voice in their cafeteria meals, from opportunities to share menu ideas, to providing feedback, to taste-testing foods
- increase the number of students eating school meals, including breakfast, lunch, and snacks, by at least 5
- ensure students are eating and enjoying their meals through a 10 reduction in plate waste
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/mkd_elements_holder_item][/mkd_elements_holder][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_width=”grid” css=”.vc_custom_1559604962635{padding-top: 120px !important;padding-bottom: 80px !important;background-color: #f5f5f5 !important;}” el_class=”hidden-on-mobile”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-7 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987949066{padding-right: 20px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][mkd_elements_holder items_float_left=”yes”][mkd_elements_holder_item item_width=”1-1″ item_padding=”0 9{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ horizontal_aligment=”left” vertical_alignment=”middle” item_padding_1024_1280=”0 7{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_768_1024=”0 3{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_600_768=”0 2{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″][vc_column_text]
Student Voice, Empowerment, and Satisfaction
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]It all starts with the students.
We know that students learn best when they have the fuel they need to focus and engage.
With ‘Aina Pono, we aim to
- give every student a voice in their cafeteria meals, from opportunities to share menu ideas, to providing feedback, to taste-testing foods
- increase the number of students eating school meals, including breakfast, lunch, and snacks, by at least 5
- ensure students are eating and enjoying their meals through a 10 reduction in plate waste
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/mkd_elements_holder_item][/mkd_elements_holder][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-5 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987942471{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_single_image image=”16032″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_width=”grid” css=”.vc_custom_1493988502486{padding-top: 120px !important;padding-bottom: 80px !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-5 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987942471{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”7px”][vc_single_image image=”16031″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-7 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987949066{padding-right: 20px !important;}”][mkd_elements_holder items_float_left=”yes”][mkd_elements_holder_item item_width=”1-1″ item_padding=”0 9{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ horizontal_aligment=”left” vertical_alignment=”middle” item_padding_1024_1280=”0 7{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_768_1024=”0 3{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_600_768=”0 2{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″][vc_empty_space height=”50px” el_class=”mobile-spacing”][vc_column_text]
Local Farmers, Local Economy, Local Health
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]It’s about our home, our keiki, our future.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4px”][vc_column_text]Over the last decades, Hawai‘i, like much of the nation, moved away from fresh food and instead opted for processed foods shipped from thousands of miles away. ‘Aina Pono is reversing this trend, increasing the amount of fresh, local foods available to our students.
‘Aina Pono’s goal: support student health and local agriculture by purchasing a minimum of 40 local food and a minimum of 60 fresh food for school meals programs throughout the state. This is a big goal, and a big deal.
Achieving our local food goals will require significant support from the agricultural sector, but the investment will be more than worth it. With 256 public schools serving more than 100,000 meals per day, or 18 million plus meals annually, ‘Aina Pono is the largest restaurant in Hawai‘i. The annual school food budget is approximately $108 million, of which roughly $35 million is spent on food. By replacing imported food with local produce, beef, milk and more, ‘Aina Pono has the potential to expand local food production, create hundreds of new jobs, and boost farmer earnings and the local economy by tens of millions of dollars.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/mkd_elements_holder_item][/mkd_elements_holder][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_width=”grid” css=”.vc_custom_1559604793623{padding-top: 120px !important;padding-bottom: 80px !important;background-color: #f5f5f5 !important;}” el_class=”display-on-mobile”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-5 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987942471{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”5px”][vc_single_image image=”16030″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-7 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987949066{padding-right: 20px !important;}”][mkd_elements_holder items_float_left=”yes”][mkd_elements_holder_item item_width=”1-1″ item_padding=”0 9{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ horizontal_aligment=”left” vertical_alignment=”middle” item_padding_1024_1280=”0 7{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_768_1024=”0 3{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_600_768=”0 2{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″][vc_empty_space height=”50px” el_class=”mobile-spacing”][vc_column_text]
Good for the Belly, Good for the Planet
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Less waste, healthier food, real ingredients.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4px”][vc_column_text]We recognize the impact of food waste and trash on our planet and our bottom line. We look to reduce our carbon footprint by decreasing overproduction and food waste, increasing our use of eco-friendly materials and products, and buying local. [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/mkd_elements_holder_item][/mkd_elements_holder][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_width=”grid” css=”.vc_custom_1559604802831{padding-top: 120px !important;padding-bottom: 80px !important;background-color: #f5f5f5 !important;}” el_class=”hidden-on-mobile”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-7 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987949066{padding-right: 20px !important;}”][mkd_elements_holder items_float_left=”yes”][mkd_elements_holder_item item_width=”1-1″ item_padding=”0 9{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ horizontal_aligment=”left” vertical_alignment=”middle” item_padding_1024_1280=”0 7{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_768_1024=”0 3{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_600_768=”0 2{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″][vc_column_text]
Good for the Belly, Good for the Planet
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Less waste, healthier food, real ingredients.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4px”][vc_column_text]We recognize the impact of food waste and trash on our planet and our bottom line. We look to reduce our carbon footprint by decreasing overproduction and food waste, increasing our use of eco-friendly materials and products, and buying local. [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/mkd_elements_holder_item][/mkd_elements_holder][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-5 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987942471{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”5px”][vc_single_image image=”16030″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_width=”grid” css=”.vc_custom_1493988502486{padding-top: 120px !important;padding-bottom: 80px !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-5 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987942471{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_single_image image=”16034″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-7 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987949066{padding-right: 20px !important;}”][mkd_elements_holder items_float_left=”yes”][mkd_elements_holder_item item_width=”1-1″ item_padding=”0 9{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ horizontal_aligment=”left” vertical_alignment=”middle” item_padding_1024_1280=”0 7{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_768_1024=”0 3{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_600_768=”0 2{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″][vc_empty_space height=”50px” el_class=”mobile-spacing”][vc_column_text]
21st Century Efficiency and Modernization
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]21st-century goals require 21st-century systems to achieve them.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4px”][vc_column_text]
We look to update our systems for inventory, point-of-sale, applications, data tracking, financial recordkeeping, and waste management. We want to ensure that we’re using efficient IT solutions — streamlining operations, minimizing costs, and meeting our targets.
By increasing efficiency, we can redirect funds and invest in our future through increased staff training, equipment upgrades, and other innovations.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/mkd_elements_holder_item][/mkd_elements_holder][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_width=”grid” css=”.vc_custom_1559604852714{padding-top: 120px !important;padding-bottom: 80px !important;background-color: #f5f5f5 !important;}” el_class=”display-on-mobile”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-5 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987942471{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”6px”][vc_single_image image=”16033″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-7 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1559604829351{padding-right: 20px !important;}”][mkd_elements_holder items_float_left=”yes”][mkd_elements_holder_item item_width=”1-1″ item_padding=”0 9{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ horizontal_aligment=”left” vertical_alignment=”middle” item_padding_1024_1280=”0 7{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_768_1024=”0 3{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_600_768=”0 2{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″][vc_empty_space height=”50px” el_class=”mobile-spacing”][vc_column_text]
Everything Good Starts in the Kitchen:
Our Staff, Our Chefs, and Our Future Leaders
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]The hands that feed our keiki mold our future.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4px”][vc_column_text]
At ‘Aina Pono, we believe that supporting our food service staff in cafeterias around the state is an investment in our future generations — feeding the bellies and their brains of the next generation of innovators and leaders and parents. When today’s keiki reconnect with fresh, local food, we can trust that tomorrow’s generations will carry on that tradition.
We are investing in our people through training, supporting their professional development, and awards to recognize outstanding team players.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/mkd_elements_holder_item][/mkd_elements_holder][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_width=”grid” css=”.vc_custom_1559604846663{padding-top: 120px !important;padding-bottom: 80px !important;background-color: #f5f5f5 !important;}” el_class=”hidden-on-mobile”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-7 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1559604838652{padding-right: 20px !important;}”][mkd_elements_holder items_float_left=”yes”][mkd_elements_holder_item item_width=”1-1″ item_padding=”0 9{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ horizontal_aligment=”left” vertical_alignment=”middle” item_padding_1024_1280=”0 7{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_768_1024=”0 3{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″ item_padding_600_768=”0 2{552faaab853fc0f6af8e04d5a70ba4686d51ec1ae469565291d064a57f2b99f0} 0 0″][vc_column_text]
Everything Good Starts in the Kitchen:
Our Staff, Our Chefs, and Our Future Leaders
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]The hands that feed our keiki mold our future.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4px”][vc_column_text]
At ‘Aina Pono, we believe that supporting our food service staff in cafeterias around the state is an investment in our future generations — feeding the bellies and their brains of the next generation of innovators and leaders and parents. When today’s keiki reconnect with fresh, local food, we can trust that tomorrow’s generations will carry on that tradition.
We are investing in our people through training, supporting their professional development, and awards to recognize outstanding team players.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/mkd_elements_holder_item][/mkd_elements_holder][vc_empty_space height=”25px”][/vc_column][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-5 vc_col-md-12″ css=”.vc_custom_1493987942471{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”6px”][vc_single_image image=”16033″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_width=”grid” css=”.vc_custom_1493988502486{padding-top: 120px !important;padding-bottom: 80px !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-12 vc_col-md-12″][vc_column_text]
Impact
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Spearheaded by former Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui and championed by former Lieutenant Governor Douglas S. Chin, ‘Aina Pono builds on over a decade of grassroots farm to school advocacy by a diverse array of nonprofit and public sector leaders in Hawai‘i.
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Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation
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Mala‘ai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School
Pacific Resources for Education and Learning
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and many others.
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