Abundant Life Natural Foods
—an interview with owner Malu Shizue
The original Abundant Life Natural Foods store was located in the Old Hilo Drugs Building on the corner of Kamehameha and Waianuenue Avenues, and moved to its present location at 292 Kamehameha Avenue in 1990.
The store was founded in 1977 by Malu Shizue, when she was barely out of her teens. She says it was a response to an inner-call for “Right Livelihood,” and to wanting to be a positive influence in our ‘aina and the environment. Malu, a petite dynamo of a woman, is the sole owner and driving force behind the operation, although she credits long-time loyal employees for the store’s success.
This year, the store celebrates 35 years of survival in an industry that has seen other health and natural food stores come and go.
The store has evolved as years passed but retains the down to earth flavor and homeliness preferred by so many of their customers. At one time, a small café with seating for about a dozen people had been added where soups, sandwiches, and salads were made daily and refreshing fruit smoothies made to order.
At this time, Hawai'i-made value-added products is a growing category. Even though a lot of the raw materials are imported (flour, oils, packaging, etc), Abundant Life supports many talented local artisans who create lovely quality baked goods, beverages, soaps, lotions, candles, and other products made locally.
In their own kitchen, beverages, cakes, pies, cookies, sandwiches, burgers, smoothies, salads and homemade soups are still being made, using as much organic ingredients as possible. Stephanie C. bakes their delicious liliko'i cheesecakes made from fruit grown at Malu’s home and Daniel V. creates delicious soups using produce from the store’s all-organic produce department.
The Hawai’i Homegrown Food Network recently sat down with owner Malu Shizue to get her take on Abundant Life’s role for the future of sustainably grown food on our island.
HHFN: What is the mission of Abundant Life Natural Foods store?
MS: The mission of Abundant Life Natural Foods is to provide our community and our families with nourishing, healthy, toxin-free, non- GMO foods, and by extension to support the family farms and businesses that are producing these vitally important products in a sustainable way. The future of our world and our health depend on it.
HHFN: Do you see any trends in the consumption of local produce and the consumption of local organic or "no spray" produce?
MS: We always buy local and organic first whenever available. In the last 3 years I have seen more local family businesses sprout up than in the previous 30 years. This is wonderful to see. It shows that more are becoming aware of the importance and necessity of island sustainability. But the truth is that demand far out weighs supply. When I decided to remove our cafe seating area in order to expand our organic produce department, I flew to the neighbor islands to source organic produce grown in Hawai'i since I was not finding enough from our own island.
Every farmer said that they could not meet their current demand. High end restaurants also wanted the quality local organic produce I was looking for. Ma'o Farms, a large successful organic farm on O'ahu, told me that they were looking towards Hawai'i Island as the main supplier for the state, and were surprised that I was searching the neighbor islands.
Importing organic produce from California was my last choice but I do fly in air-cans full of organic produce to meet our growing demand. Transportation cost from the U.S. mainland is as much as the cost of the produce! That money could be staying on our island if we had the supply. Caveat: because Abundant Life Natural Foods is dedicated to quality and we have customers who are looking for non-toxic food for their healing and well being, we do not purchase locally grown produce if it is grown with chemicals. Nor do we purchase local organic produce if it is wilted or anemic or contaminated. I have made a couple of exceptions to that in the past 5 years. One was when I was ono for local purple sweet potato and the other was when we brought in local dragon fruit. For now, I am sticking with my ideals of a 100% organic produce department. I want to support local organic farmers.
HHFN: How many local vendors do you support?
MS: If I were to add up all the local vendors which would include the farmers, single ingredient suppliers (honey, coffee, macadamia nuts), value-added manufacturers (body care, supplements, packaged foods) and suppliers of gift items and packaging, Abundant Life supports close to 200 local vendors.
HHFN: Of your total sales, roughly what percentage is fresh produce (imported and local)?
MS: Percentages can be misleading and those figures change daily. A small store can sell a large percentage of its volume in local products and a large store can sell a very small percentage of its volume in local products, but the large store could be selling thousands of dollars more in local products because of its sheer volume. Abundant Life Natural Foods buys all the quality local organic products that we can find.
HHFN: What do you think of the College of Tropical Ag & Human Resources (CTAHR)'s role in Hawaiian agriculture?
MS: I think CTAHR is a great resource. I wish there was more outreach to let people know of their services. I have attended workshops hosted by CTAHR on organic farming. They are also taking a big step into cultivating vermiculture, which could help to increase Hawai'i's organic food production. CTAHR also provides the service of soil testing for the public. On the other hand, I understand that they promote bioengineering in agriculture. I do not know if that includes GMOs. If it does, I am against it and feel that it is a poor choice for Hawai'i. Many nations are akamai about the dangers of GMOs and will not allow it into their country. Because of our isolation, Hawai'i could have been a source of clean food for the world. Instead we are in bed with Monsanto, allowing them to use us as experimental lands. Not Pono. Unfortunately, shortsightedness, greed, and money run a lot of the big corporations. Monsanto affiliates even sit on our US Supreme Court. And on a local level, it is unfortunate that a lot of our older generation who were first introduced to Round-up, still think of it as the wonderful miracle that will get rid of your weeds effortlessly.
HHFN: How can we best overcome these obstacles? What do you think state government should do to make Hawai'i more food self-sufficient?
MS: Our state government could promote, invest in, fund, and take a leading role both through the university system and at a grass roots level to target food self-sufficiency as a goal for Hawai’i as fast as possible. All schools (elementary to high school) could be funded to add farming into the curriculum. Even if the student does not intend to become a farmer, they can learn to grow something for their family. Sustainable family farms and clean energy development could be given tax incentives. Vacant lands could be bought by the state and turned into community gardens. Those in prison could be put to work and contribute back to the community by growing acres of food for Hawai'i'.
HHFN: If we could give you a soapbox, what would you say to the residents of Hawai'i Island about food issues?
MS: Grow Food... everybody. Everybody grow food. Haha, sounds like a song. Even if it is small kine growing. Even if you just start with the root end of one green onion & stick it in some dirt. Something, anything. Every little bit is a step towards sustainability. If you have room, plant a fruit tree or start a backyard garden. If apartment dwelling, grow food in a container. Save your seeds. Share. Diversified agriculture is key.
If we rely solely on a few mono-cropping farmers, the occasional crop
failure due to adverse weather conditions, etc would put our food supply in jeopardy. Eat organically grown food. It's better for you and the 'aina. Demand GMO labeling. It is our right to know. Get involved! Each of us can make a difference. This is a time of great change. Let's make it a change for the positive.
I am a humanitarian before I am a business woman. I know that I am encouraging people to grow food which means dollars out of my pocket, but that is the right thing to do.
Learn more about Abundant Life Natural Foods at http://www.abundantlifenaturalfoods.com/
Sonia R. Martinez, the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network regular farmers market reporter, is a cookbook author and freelance food writer for several publications in Hawai'i, including The Hamakua Times of Honoka’a. She is a contributing writer for Edible Hawaiian Islands Magazine and has her own food & garden blog at soniatasteshawaii.com