$110,000 from 2025 Hawaii Food & Wine Festival® proceeds to support culinary education, agriculture, and community resilience across Hawaii
HONOLULU, HI (May 29, 2026)—The Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance (HACA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening Hawaii’s culinary and agricultural industries through education, workforce development, and community impact, announced today that it has awarded $110,000 in proceeds from the Fifteenth Annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival® (HFWF) to support culinary education, agriculture, and community organizations across the state. This year’s giving brings HACA’s total community investment to more than $5.3 Million since its founding in 2011.
While the Festival remains its most visible program, HACA today supports a growing portfolio of initiatives focused on culinary education, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and local agriculture. As Hawaii continues to focus on economic diversification and strengthening local food systems, HACA is investing in programs that create pathways for students, culinary professionals, and food entrepreneurs while helping build a more resilient future for the state’s culinary and agricultural sectors.
“Hawaii Food & Wine Festival was founded with the belief that culinary could be a powerful force for community impact,” said Denise Yamaguchi, CEO of the Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance. “Over the past fifteen years, we’ve grown beyond producing world-class culinary events into an organization investing in education, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and the future of Hawaii’s food systems. Every ticket purchased helps us continue that work.”
HACA’s 2025 beneficiaries reflect that mission. Funding raised through the Fifteenth Annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival includes a $50,000 contribution to Imua Family Services; $25,000 to the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation Farmers Disaster Relief Fund for the Kunia wildfires; and $35,000 to the UH Community Colleges Culinary Programs Restricted Fund benefiting culinary programs at the Culinary Institute of the Pacific, Hawaii Community College in Hilo and Kona, Kapiolani Community College, Kauai Community College, Leeward Community College, and Maui College.
In addition to annual beneficiary giving, HACA continues to expand its workforce development and community impact initiatives designed to strengthen Hawaii’s culinary and hospitality industries year-round. These programs include the Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship, which supports Hawaii-based value-added food entrepreneurs in scaling operations through a partnership with Leeward Community College and the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center’s Aina to Makeke program. Since 2023, HACA has awarded $136,500 in scholarship funds and Pitch Fest prize money to entrepreneurs participating in the program.
HACA also continues to invest in the future of Hawaii’s culinary workforce through the CIP x CIA Workforce Development Scholarship Fund, which provides Hawaii culinary professionals access to advanced culinary and leadership training through workforce development intensives at the Culinary Institute of the Pacific in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. Since 2024, HACA has awarded more than $290,000 in scholarships supporting participation in the program.
Last year, HACA launched the inaugural FEAST Summit during Hawaii Food & Wine Festival—a first-of-its-kind forum bringing together leaders across food, education, agriculture, sustainability, tourism, and hospitality to explore the future of Hawaii’s culinary and agricultural industries through thought leadership, innovation, and collaboration. Extending those conversations beyond the Festival, HACA recently launched FEAST: Dish & Dialogue, a podcast series featuring conversations recorded live at the Summit and designed to further elevate Hawaii’s role in shaping global conversations around food, culture, sustainability, and hospitality.
“As Hawaii continues to diversify its economy, we believe food, hospitality, agriculture, and culture represent one of Hawaii’s greatest strategic opportunities,” added Yamaguchi. “These are industries deeply connected to our identity, our people, and our global brand—and they deserve continued investment.”
The 2025 beneficiaries were recognized during an industry reception held at Prince Waikiki celebrating both HACA’s continued community impact and the launch of the Sixteenth Annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, taking place October 16 through November 8, 2026. In attendance were HFWF sponsors, chefs, farmers, beverage partners, educators, legislators, industry leaders, and supporters representing local, national, and international organizations.
Each year, proceeds from HFWF ticket purchases support culinary education, workforce development, local agriculture, sustainability initiatives, and community resilience efforts across Hawaii. Tickets are on sale now for the 2026 events spanning three weekends across the Island of Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu. Visit hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com to purchase tickets, view event details and explore the chef lineup.
For Press & Media inquiries, please contact:
Kristen Lau-Grover, Sr. Director of Marketing & PR | [email protected] or 808-721-1849
ABOUT HAWAII AG & CULINARY ALLIANCE
The Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance (HACA) is dedicated to forging a vibrant link between our world-class culinary events and the advancement of culinary education, from community colleges to four-year universities. Founded in 2011 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, HACA’s mission is to elevate Hawaii’s culinary and agricultural sectors, enriching both the visitor industry and local community. HACA’s signature program, the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival®, continues to be recognized as the premier culinary destination event of the Pacific, showcasing Hawaii’s extraordinary culinary talent and locally-grown products while giving back to the community. Since its inception, HACA has donated more than $5.3 million to local organizations that support culinary and agriculture education, sustainability and cultural initiatives. Today, HACA is proud to support a range of workforce development programs designed to foster growth and opportunity within the culinary and hospitality industries including the Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship, CIP x CIA Workforce Development Scholarship Fund, Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund. For more information, visit www.HFWF.me, follow us on Instagram @HIAgCulinaryAlliance and @HIFoodWineFest.