Last year Hirono began her Coffee Talk with Mazie series, in which she toured the islands and sat down with key figures of interest from a wide range of backgrounds. This week, she was focusing on talking with students, professors and administrators about the importance of education and workforce development.
In the midst of a week long island wide tour, she stopped by Ka ‘Ikena Laua’e for a discussion with the programs director, and got a sampling of the world-class food the amateur restaurant offers.
“Our main concern is the reducing the reliance we’ve accumulated over the years upon foreign goods,” Hirono said.
The state currently receives an estimated 80% of its food from ships coming from the mainland, and efforts are being made to lower that number considerably.
“We certainly have the resources available to do so, but it’s going to take along time to reverse the agricultural trends that have been set decades ago,” she said.
She went on to outline a plan for Hawaiʻi’s schools to utilize locally grown ingredients and food, which will be a huge step in the right direction.
Hirono’s discourse was strongly influenced by President Barack Obama’s economic initiative for next year, which features a heavy investment in community colleges and job training programs.
KCC falls right into those categories, with several of the states best preparatory job programs – most notorious of which being the culinary department, which has earned a slew of accolades over the years.
She also has a vested interest in making sure the farms of the islands receive the resources they need to become viable solutions for the states growing food industry. By connecting the farms with restaurants over the state, the two entities can form a synergistic bond that will ultimately lead Hawaiʻi into a brighter, more sustainable future.
By the end of her visit, she was palpably enthusiastic about what she had witnessed.
“I wanted to get a feel for what these students were learning, and the process they went through to become the professionals of tomorrow,” she said. “I feel encouraged by what I’ve seen today.”