With an estimated 90% of Hawaii’s food supply dependent on mainland imports, Hawaii’s 1.4 million residents, as well as the additional 240,000 visitors in the state on any given day, are particularly vulnerable to experiencing the effects of significant food insecurity in the event of a major disaster. Without a large warehousing system in the state that is prepared to quickly meet surges in demand, the companies who make up Hawaii’s long and complex food supply chain are left to define their own disaster preparedness and response plans to help ensure enough food is available to consumers, should a natural disaster or global event result in the closure of Hawaii's ports.

Industry leaders and government experts will provide insight into just how resilient Hawaii’s food supply chain is in the event of a natural disaster. Participants will touch on the following topics:

• What risk mitigation and relief/response plans do Hawaii's shipping companies, retailers, non-profits and public agencies have in place to help mitigate the risk of food supply disruption? 

• What role do supply chain companies have in the statewide disaster response plan? 

• What are the potential gaps in cross-sector coordination, logistics, sourcing and knowledge management? 

• What opportunities are there to help bridge those gaps? What can we learn from other states and U.S. territories, such as North Carolina Carolina and Puerto Rico?