Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii

Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii

Hawaii has been self-sufficient before so what prevents it now?

By: Sawyer Cilurso

The islands have a tumultuous history with agriculture, from the early self-sufficiency systems of the first Hawaiians, to the boom of the agriculture industry with the plantation era of the early to mid-1800s, then finally to the lack of food self-sufficiency and overreliance on imports for the island’s food supply. However, due to the pandemic and the limitations it brought upon the imports that came into Hawaii, the islands have realized the true vulnerability of the situation when it comes to food self-sufficiency. The Hawaiian islands receive more than 80% of their food from imports due to a combination of the tourism industry taking center stage in the island’s economy and the end of the plantation era (once the islands became a state). 

The Agricultural Development Corporation was created to help expand the agriculture industry after the plantation era, however the state organization and the state government still have yet to provide enough assistance to incentivize the industry. Farmers and the smaller local farms in the islands today barely make $50,000 annually. Larger agriculture corporations receive backlash from the local communities due to the use of pesticides and GMO-grown crops, this further reduces the industry’s potential in Hawaii. Regardless, local organizations such as Kahua Pa‘a Mua and Food Security Hawaii have been able to provide for the community and educate them on the topic, as well as advocating for community participation in solving the issue. 

Specifically, Kahua Pa‘a Mua works within North Kohala on the Big Island by involving the community in their programs to set up farms for individual families and by utilizing traditional Hawaiian farming techniques. Newer corporations such as Sensei Ag have also been able to provide for their local communities and utilize newer technology, like their three-acre hydroponics system, in order to grow their crops in a safer manner than most other agriculture corporations. This article seeks to address this issue and its history within the islands as well as looking at the efforts of the community, outside corporations, and organizations to help increase food self-sufficiency within the islands. Ke Ali`i also takes a look in this article at the perspectives of two experts on the issue from Damien Memorial School's campus; physical science and aquaponics teacher Ross Murakami and Hawaiian history teacher Baron Kaholokula.

Agriculture within the islands has its roots in the early settlers who came during the period from 500 to 700 AD. These early Hawaiians brought with them: taro, sugar cane, bananas, nuts, sweet potatoes, pigs, chickens, and a variety of other crops and animals to cultivate the land they now inhabited. Many of these early farms were much smaller in scale when compared to today’s modern farms, however the small population made managing food self-sufficiency easier. “Coming at it from a historical perspective, in ancient Hawaii the people here were able to feed and sustain themselves one hundred percent; the population at the time of Cook’s arrival was no greater than 80,000 and now in the state of Hawaii we're just at about one and a half million,” Mr. K stated on the question of if Hawaii could return to food self-sufficiency. 

As Western settlers began to populate the islands, many one-crop plantations began to pop up. During the early 19th century the plantations dominated the agriculture industry, many of which were producing sugar cane or pineapple. Plantation owners saw the islands as a place that supplied them with cheap land and labor for their business endeavors, however once the islands became a part of the United States in 1959, enforcement of worker’s rights would increase the cost of labor and consequently the plantation companies would seek out other countries, such as India, that would supply the cheap labor. 

With the rise and accessibility of airlines came the rise in tourism which overtook the agriculture industry as the main industry of the islands. In 1961, around 6,200 farms existed on the islands and in 1964, 65,000 acres of land were being used for pineapple crops that supplied around 80% of the world’s pineapple supply. As costs of labor increased and the number of plantations decreased, the rise of imports began to help fill the gap to supply both the islands and incoming tourists. By 1999, four of the original 120 sugar farms from the late 1800s remained, and as a result there was a rise in diversified agriculture. In 2009, seed crops had surpassed sugarcane in the industry, as only two sugar farms remained on the islands. With the shift towards tourism in the economy, the agriculture industry attempted to integrate their industry with the tourism industry. Throughout the first decade of the 2000s agricultural tourism (ag-tourism) was on the rise. Ag-tourism includes farm tours and visits, farm related bed and breakfasts, agricultural fairs and festivals, restaurants and retail sales of local produce. Around 2006, 84 farms were either involved with the new agriculture tourism or had plans to become involved.

In the modern day, the agricultural industry within Hawaii has significantly decreased from its peak in the late 1800s, and what remains attempts to contribute to the goal of self-sufficiency within the islands. There are roughly 7,000 small scale farms on the islands today and yet many of them barely generate $50,000 in revenue per year. Some islands have also become the testing grounds for GMO crops and pesticide testing, such as the island of Kauai. The role that the government has within the agriculture industry in the modern day has been seen by the public as negligible, from the plantation era of the islands until now the government budget for agriculture has dropped to below one percent. The agriculture industry has shrunk significantly from the peak it was at during the 1960s, which was caused by a variety of factors, from climate change and invasive species to lack of government support and public backlash against GMO focused corporations. 

Starting with the more natural factors that are causing issues for the industry, climate change has affected every part of the world including the Hawaiian islands. Some of the various issues affecting the agriculture industry that are caused by climate change include: difficulty pollinating certain plants such as corn, loss of topsoil due to heavy rainfall, increased time for macadamia nuts to flower due to the increase in temperature, and countless other issues caused by the various effects of climate change. From 1950 to 2010 the average temperature within the islands has increased by two degrees Fahrenheit, causing 2019 to be one of the hottest years on record for the island of Oahu. However, the heat isn’t the only factor that causes droughts for the islands; the aquifers on the islands are replenished via constant, gentle rainfall. However, the harsh storm conditions cause the majority of  rainwater to run into the ocean instead of seeping into the aquifer through the soil. Despite these issues there have been attempts for farmers to adapt and continue producing crops, the University of Hawaii has been searching for crops that are able to withstand the increase in temperature, soil salinity, and drought conditions. Some of the prime candidates for crops to resist the elements are fruit trees that not only have more resilience that standard crops but also transfer carbon into the soil, which decreases soil erosion and improves air quality. 

The second natural issue that Hawaii’s agriculture industry faces is invasive species; around 5,300 alien species were introduced into the Hawaiian islands and around 300 to 500 of these species cause direct damage to both the local ecosystem and the agriculture. The direct damage that these invasive species have caused for the ecosystem is culling the populations of local species. These local species have been responsible for improving the water quality, soil conservation, carbon storage, and climate regulation. Specifically the introduction of the Indian mongoose caused a major impact that was responsible for endangering local species of birds by eating the eggs and eating insects that contribute to soil quality. Invasive ant species are responsible for the damage done to the population of bees and other local pollinators. To avoid the damage of these species, organizations such as the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, the University of Hawaii, and others have been dedicated to studying the harmful effects of invasive species on the islands and regulating the transportation of goods coming into or between the islands. These goods could potentially be carrying an invasive species of plant or animal that is directly harmful to the local ecosystem. 

Besides the more natural issues that the agriculture industry faces, there are roles that the government plays that aren’t being fully tapped into to improve the agriculture industry. In 1994 the government established the Agribusiness Development Corporation to help develop the previously owned plantation land to be more suitable for the more diverse selection of crops. This government organization was given a quarter of one billion dollars in funds to achieve this goal of redevelopment, however based on an audit from 2021, which detailed that the organization’s files regarding where the funds have been directed were missing or misplaced and that the executive director of the organization resisted the audit, the organization has yet to fulfill their goal to a meaningful degree. 

Other issues that the government is able to aid with include the high cost of land and the strict zoning laws, “There are programs that the state of Hawaii have put into effect in order to do things like reforestation as well as create more farming initiatives here in Hawaii. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has set aside some acreage in the last couple of decades to try to get the community back into the ʻaina to grow food for everyone, the problem is, is there enough land being given out by the government?” Mr. K pondered when asked about the government's role in revitalizing the agriculture industry and getting to the goal of food self-sufficiency. Mr. Murakami stated how the government could become more involved with the revitalization of agriculture in the islands, “They could really incentivize current local farmers like Sensei Ag or even Mari’s Garden, our farmers in general, to increase our production as well as create more programs to help train new farmers that are looking to start their own farms.”

On top of the government’s lack of support when it comes to truly incentivizing the agriculture industry in Hawaii to not only help small farmers and larger agricultural corporations, the larger corporations that have made their home on the islands have had backlash from the public due to some of the islands being testing grounds for GMO crops and pesticides. On the island of Kauai there have been several companies whose main goal has been to produce GMO crops and test pesticides which include: Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, BASF, and Dow Agrosciences. Over 15,000 acres of land on Kauai have been used by these companies to experiment and grow GMO crops. One of the herbicides that has been commonly available on store shelves produced by Bayer, Roundup, includes a chemical, glyphosate, that has been linked with several health complications in humans. These health issues begin as inflammation in the body that damages cell systems within the body, some of the health complications include heart disease, obesity, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, cancer, and autism. The chemical, glyphosate, kills weeds in a process that disables the enzymes that are responsible for creating the defenses in plants. This strips micronutrients such as magnesium, copper, and zinc, which reduces the overall micronutrient content in the crops as well. 

In 2013, the Kauai City Council overrode a veto, five to two, that the mayor was trying to pass to block a law that would outlaw open-air testing of pesticides and GMO crops, require these companies get a permit to continue their tests, and prevent the expansion of these testing fields. Though the final bill had to be tweaked from its original state it still protects the community by requiring companies to disclose that they intend to plant GMO crops, requiring testing of pesticides, and include what crops they intend to plant, requiring what pesticides and herbicides are being used, where, as well as how much is being used, establishing a “buffer zone” of 500 feet around schools, hospitals, and homes, and finally directing research towards studying the impact that these GMOs and pesticides have on public safety and the environment. 

The general backlash for larger agriculture corporations makes the general public favor the more locally-owned businesses, however despite this, companies such as Sensei Ag on the island of Lanai have proved that some of these corporations have the potential to give back to the community in a beneficial way. “I definitely support those local companies that are all about reducing their carbon footprint and buying local” Mr. Murakami stated on the topic of his opinion on the larger corporations, specifically Sensei Ag and its hydroponics farm. “Well, just having something like that on a smaller island is great because it shows that farming can be used commercially.” Mr. K stated when asked his standpoint on larger corporations, specifically Sensei Ag. 

Despite the numerous issues and hurdles to overcome in regards to the goal of self-sufficiency and resurrecting the agriculture industry, the general opinion on the goal is optimistic. There have been various local organizations dedicated to educating the public on the options available to support local farmers or begin starting their own farms including: Kahua Pa‘a Mua, Hawaii Food Security, Hawaii Center for Food Safety, and various others. Kahua Pa‘a Mua has been working with the community in North Kohala on the Big Island to provide for them a means to grow locally through their programs that educate them, such as OAR or “Ohana Agricultural Resilience” and Ho’okahua Ai or “HA'' program. Along with educating local farmers and families in the North Kohala community, the local organization has partnered with other organizations such as the St. Augustine's Episcopal Church to serve over 500 hot meals and distribute three-thousand pounds of produce during 2020. Besides those dedicated to the education aspect of solving the issue that is food insecurity, local farms such as Mari’s Garden and Sensei Ag have been responsible for growing crops through the means of hydroponics and aquaponics systems that are often more efficient than traditional farming methods. 

Sensei Ag’s farming corporation began on the island of Lanai and is run by the same company who owns the Four Seasons Resort on the island and whose co-owner, Larry Ellison, owns around 98% of the island. The Sensei Ag farm on Lanai consists of a three acre hydroponics farm that is able to provide food for local supermarkets and the resort on the island. The corporation has projected that they would be able to produce 500,000 pounds of produce for sale in local markets during 2021. “A lot of Hawaii’s economy is tied up in other industries, so focusing on restructuring of agriculture is difficult. That's probably one of your biggest hurdles, is getting buy-in from other organizations such as the hotel organization.” Mr. K commented on the topic of what is the biggest hurdle on achieving food self sufficiency. Another solution that has been brought up to produce more food more effectively and efficiently is aquaponics and hydroponics, the difference between the two being that aquaponics is more natural, using fish as a natural fertilizer while hydroponics utilizes man-made fertilizer. “I really believe that aquaponics and hydroponics is the future, the way to go, because with hydroponics and aquaponics there’s some many benefits of both. It not only saves a lot of water compared to traditional farming, it requires less space, depending on the crop you’re growing it grows anywhere between 20 and 50% faster than traditional soil farming; there’s a whole variety of benefits for both hydroponics and aquaponics.” Mr. Murakami states as a dedicated advocate for both hydroponics and aquaponics as the future of agriculture in the islands.

Obtaining food self-sufficiency and revitalizing the agriculture industry in Hawaii is seemingly a very difficult task. There are various factors that inhibit progress towards this goal such as: climate change limiting the growth of crops due to the harsh weather patterns, invasive species damaging the ecosystem by endangering local species responsible for keeping the balance in the environment, the government’s programs lacking in agency to achieve the goal, and backlash that larger corporation have on the islands due to the negative consequences of GMO and pesticide focused corporations in the islands. Despite these issues, the main public sentiment is that there is a potential for the islands to return to food self-sufficiency. The main aspect of achieving this goal is spreading awareness on the topic like local news organizations such as Hawaii Civil Beat and their “Hawaiian Grown” series that outlines all aspects of the agriculture industry, and educating the public and providing them with the means to acquire locally grown food, like Kahua Pa‘a Mua who work with their community in North Kohala to start home-grown farms, and teachers like Mr. K and Mr. Murakami whose education of students is based in the agriculture of Hawaii. Overall though it will take a great effort from the community of the Hawaiian islands, and the dream of returning to food self-sufficiency has never looked more achievable than now.