If there is a place in the world where eating locally makes more sense than on an island, I don’t know where it is. The local paper this morning reports that the last dairy on the island of Oahu has closed its doors, leaving only two remaining dairies in the whole state - both on the Big Island. In the 1980s, the state was self-sufficient in its dairy consumption; today, 82% of the milk consumed in Hawaii is imported. To top off today’s agricultural news, the last egg farm on the Big Island is closing, leaving four remaining in the state, all on Oahu.

While the local products are probably superior in quality, they’re not always the least expensive choice, so for people on a budget - most of the folks living here - it’s something of a balancing act. How can we support local agribusiness without breaking the bank? With the economic future looking bleak, I see it only getting worse as people make their shopping choices based on the lowest price available, instead of what’s best for the island overall.

What is wrong with us, that it’s often cheaper to buy food that has traveled long distances, using up fuels and polluting, than it is to support our local farmers? This is a travesty (and one that’s not limited to islands).

Hawaii’s residents have come to rely heavily on imported goods for their survival. What if there’s a natural disaster? Or a dock workers strike? Or a fuel shortage? Without local food producers, the residents of these islands are in a dangerous and precarious place.