U.S. islands import between 70-90% of their food at a high cost to residents. When natural disasters strike, island communities are vulnerable to food shortages despite having arable land to grow crops and raise livestock, and harvestable seafood available offshore. As the reliance on food grown on the mainland U.S. has increased, locally grown food networks and distribution systems have decreased. Islands need support in transitioning their current food systems to more self-sustaining food economies, diversifying their food choices and sources. By making this transition, island communities can support locally produced foods that will increase island food security while simultaneously adding new sectors to the island economy. However, not all island food security issues will be solved by growing food on islands, and not all islands have the climate and land needed to grow food. So, transportation, storage, distribution, and refrigeration issues must also be addressed to achieve sustainable, healthy, climate resilient food systems.