Why do we want to do this?
“Food is the problem and the solution.” Ron Finley: A guerilla gardener in South Central, LA
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Pacific Islanders are 10% more likely to have asthma, 30% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, 7 times more likely to be diagnosed with chronic liver disease, and 2 times more likely to
be diagnosed with diabetes. 33% of all deaths in Asian/Pacific Islanders are caused by heart disease. The 5th leading cause of death is diabetes. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are 2.7 times more likely to be obese than the overall Asian/Pacific Islander population. Obesity is an epidemic, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer. According to a report to the Hawaii State Legislature by the Food Security Task Force in January 2003, 15-19.9% of households in our area were food insecure. Food insecurity is defined as “whenever the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways is limited or uncertain.” Many of our South Kona families rely on food stamps and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program to meet their daily nutritional needs, however only 22% of food insecure households received food stamps in 1999-2000. Poorer physical and mental health, higher levels of obesity, diabetes, arthritis and generally less nutritious food choices are associated with food insecurity. Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are disproportionately affected. Often pre-packaged, processed and less nutritious foods are more affordable than fresh, nutrient dense local produce. Our people are being poisoned by the food they eat. Many families have lost touch with the land and sea as sources of food and medicine. Most of our food does not come from Hawaii, it is grown on industrial macro-farms, drenched in pesticides and herbicides. Our processed food is manufactured in massive industrial complexes of factories, stripped of its nutritional value and stuffed full of sugar, preservatives and additives. Our children and families are in desperate need of nutrition, we are starving both physically and spiritually. We need to reestablish the traditional relationship to our land and sea and therefore our food, each other and ourselves. Children and families need to be shown how food affects the mind and body. The Mā`ona Farm Project was established to show people how take back the power over their bodies and minds through growing their own food and making better nutritional choices. The programs and facilities we are working to develop will be assets to the community, connecting us to our past, serving us in the present and creating a legacy for the future.
