Hawaii Made Conference highlights push to grow local food industry

News admin June 24, 2026 0 Comments

Hawaii Made Conference highlights push to grow local food industry

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Local businesses and state leaders came together Tuesday to discuss the future of Hawaii’s food industry.

The discussion took place during the fourth annual Hawaii Made Conference, hosted by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) at the Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort.

This year’s conference focused on the Food and Product Innovation Network (FPIN), a statewide effort aimed at helping local businesses bring Hawaii-made products to market through improved access to training, funding, product development resources, and distribution networks.

The event included the signing of a memorandum of agreement among state agencies, educational institutions and industry partners, intended to strengthen collaboration and support local entrepreneurs.

Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz said the initiative is designed to ensure organizations are working together toward common goals.

“This is something that has not really been done before, where departments are working together, making a commitment in writing,” Dela Cruz said. “This is the beginning, this is the end, this is a seamless transition, so that entrepreneurs really can get the best support they can from government.”

Among those attending was Sheryl Kahue, co-owner and manager of uCook Hawaii, who said building relationships with local farmers is critical to her business.

“For us the importance is also the relationships — building relationships with the farmers, building relationships with the customers,” Kahue said. “We try to utilize as many of the farmers as we can.”

Kahue also highlighted the importance of support from state programs and private industry partners in helping small businesses grow.

“DBEDT has been really helpful in helping us expose our product to different markets,” Kahue said. “They’ve been supportive in continuing to come alongside us and promote our product, promote our brand and educate us.”

Organizers said the conference is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Hawaii’s local food system, support entrepreneurship and create new opportunities for locally made products.