HomeMy WebLinkAboutHawaii County Food Self-Sufficiency Baseline 2012- ADA
Hawai‘i County
Food Self-Sufficiency
Baseline 2012
Prepared for
Hawai‘i County Department of
Research and Development
Prepared by
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
Geography and Environmental Studies Department
Jeffrey Melrose MURP
Donna Delparte PhD.
Hawai‘i CountyFood Self-SufficiencyBaseline 2012
Prepared for
Hawai‘i County Department of Research and Development
Prepared by
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
Geography and Environmental Studies Department
Jefrey Melrose MURP
Donna Delparte PhD.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 1
Executive Summary
Te Hawai‘i County Food Self-Sufciency Baseline study was commissioned by the County of Hawaii Research and Develop
ment Division to help inform the public and policy makers about the current status of food production on the island of Hawaii.
It is intended to provide a context for shaping individual and collective initiatives to help increase the island’s capability to be
more food self reliant. Te report follows a recommendation in the Hawai‘i County Agricultural Plan to set a baseline from
which to measure change in the islands local food system. It was prepared by the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo’s Geography and
Environmental Studies Department in partnership with the Hilo based land use consulting frm of Island Planning.
Food self-sufciency on Hawai‘i Island has been in decline for over 230 years. Prior to 1778, Hawai‘i was 100% food self suf
fcient with no more than a dozen major food crops feeding a population arguably similar in size to the current resident popula
tion. Te plantation era that followed was relatively food self reliant and saw the expansion of the islands’ food palette to accom
modate growing ethnic diversity. Te introduction of transportation innovations such as refrigerated shipping containers afer
WWII helped to open Hawai‘i’s marketplace to fresh, mass produced foods from around the world. Today, Hawai‘i County’s
food market place is dominated by a global food system and by consumer demands for crops that are not, and will likely not be,
produced locally.
Key fndings of the Baseline Study include:
Local Consumption
• Tere are over 210,000 people consuming over 630,000 meals every day on Hawai‘i Island. Based on estimates of national
per capita food consumption, this amounts to roughly 410 million pounds of food annually.
• Te State abandoned its historical eforts to monitor local farm production and imports in 2008, and complex food distri
bution channels make it increasingly difcult to access precise information to monitor local food self-sufciency over time.
• Within the context of available data, this baseline report suggests that Hawai‘i Island currently produces roughly 95% of
the fresh milk, over 17% of the fresh beef, over 51% of the seafood, more than 34% of the vegetables, more than 32% of the
fruit and none of the grain consumed on the island. (See Food Scorecard, p 26. and following pages for details)
• Tere is also an informal food system that is even more difcult to measure but which has a signifcant impact on local
food consumption patterns. Food sales at farmers markets, trade and sharing among neighbors, recreational fsh catch,
subsistence hunting, home gardening and animal husbandry are important, yet unmeasured, parts of the island’s rural
economy and lifestyle.
• A signifcant portion of Hawai‘i Island’s food consumption is done away from home in restaurants, fast food outlets,
schools, hospitals, and other institutions that control a large portion of the island’s food procurement budget. Expanding
the amount of local food being purchased by these food purveyors would help to expand the market place for local food
producers and encourage new production.
Local Food Production
• Tere are over 42,700 acres in crop production on the island, half of which (21,000 acres) are in macadamia nuts, over
6,000 acres are in cofee and another 1,700 acres are planted in fowers and foliage crops. Tese crops are important to the
agricultural economy of Hawai‘i though they play very minor roles in the island’s food supply.
• Vegetable crops, taro, tropical fruits, banana, papaya, aquaculture and specialty food crops account for 10,400 acres of ac
tive agricultural land use. Local consumption of these locally produced crops varies as a signifcant portion of each crop
type is exported to other parts of Hawai‘i and continental U.S. and global markets. Hawai‘i Island also produces a range of
specialty products aimed at boutique markets which help to insure farm viability but do not necessarily contribute signif
cantly to local food supplies.
• Roughly 94% of all existing crop lands on Hawai‘i Island are located in 11 areas around the island and are referred to in
this report as “Core Crop Lands.” Tese are the areas where the momentum of existing farming activity is most active and
therefore most likely to support new agricultural production.
• Te patterns of post-plantation land ownership, supporting natural resources, available labor, weather conditions and other
factors vary from region to region around the island. Understanding the specifc needs and capabilities of each farming
area on the island is important to understanding how to urge new food production in each region. Te keys to new food
2 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
production are in the details of each producing region and not in a generic discussion of agriculture in abstract terms. Te
report contains detailed maps of existing agricultural region and a discussion of the factors that drive farm activity in each.
• Te existing settlement and diversifed land ownership patterns on Hawai‘i Island present signifcant opportunities for
small scale food production for both commercial and home use. Tere are 135,000 agricultural lots between 0.5 and 20
acres in size which encompass over 200,000 acres with varying degrees of food production capacity available to a diverse
set of local landowners.
• Surface water irrigation systems in four areas around the island present varying levels of opportunity for the expansion of
new farm activity. Tese systems all require some form of external subsidy to operate in a sustained fashion. Te Depart
ment of Water Supply is the largest and most expensive purveyor of agricultural water through its extensive distribution
system that serves farms island-wide. Much of the island’s agricultural production relies exclusively on rainfall.
• Ocean and forest resources are important parts of the local food system with unique stewardship challenges to insure that
they remain long-term contributors to the island’s ecology and food supply.
• Honey bees play an important role in pollinating certain food and export crops on the island. Bees are also one of many
examples where Hawai‘i’s susceptibility to invasive species can have a devastating impact on the island’s ability to produce
its own food supply.
Te Context for Change
Building a more self-sufcient food system on Hawai‘i Island is not as simple as just adding new farms and additional acreage to
the existing agricultural footprint. Successful food production is a function of commerce and markets. It also requires that pro
ducers are able to make a reasonable and sustainable return for their eforts. Some of the key issues currently shaping the terrain
of increased food self-reliance are discussed in Chapter 8 and include:
• Energy Costs • County Real Property Tax Programs
• Food Safety Requirements • Land Use Regulation
• Agricultural Labor • Food Data Collection
• Access to Capital • Genetically Modifed Organisms
• Te Price of Local Foods • Organic and Natural Farming Methods
• Consumer Preferences
Ways to Make a Diference
Hawaii County real property tax policies provide important incentives for landowners to pursue agricultural uses. Over 11,000
parcels are enrolled in one of two programs that reduce the assessed value of lands that claim agricultural use. Te programs
reduce County tax revenues by $34 million dollars annually, though lack regular oversight to insure that agricultural uses persist
once assessment adjustments are granted. Revisiting the policies and procedures for these programs could produce new incen
tives for increased food production and local distribution.
Food self-sufciency will not be achieved by government actions alone. It requires the actions of many people in many diferent
roles. Chapter 9 provides a list of over 100 actions that could be taken by diferent types of stakeholders to promote increased
food self sufciency on Hawai‘i Island. Tese actions are broken into 16 separate action groups from parents and children to
government agencies, landowners, farmers, ranchers and fshermen. Some steps are simple and involve actions that could be
taken by individual consumers or groups of neighbors; others are more complicated and require collective efort and sustained
political will to build a stronger, durable base for local food production.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 3
Moving Forward
Hawaii Island is a rich and diverse landscape that is well suited to diversifed food production. Te economy of its rural commu
nities has deep roots in agriculture and the existing small-lot settlement pattern creates a productive setting for individual action
and innovation. Te island has visionary leadership in the farmer, rancher, consumer, retailer, educator, land owner, government
and other sectors that are capable of moving the island towards food self sufciency to the degree that it is economically practi
cal. 2012 is a good time to act. Rising energy prices, the cost of transportation, declining public health, the emerging slow food
movement, school gardens and other national mega trends all help to drive the collective concern for locally sustainable food
supplies.
Te movement towards increased food self-sufciency has already begun. “Buy Local” campaigns have been a constant theme
across Hawai‘i’s promotional landscape for decades and are now part of the daily vocabulary of most island residents. Tis Base
line Study is a mark on the wall to measure what is measurable about Hawai‘i Island’s state of food self reliance in 2012. To be
useful, the baseline needs to be revisited every 5 to10 years to track areas of progress and to measure where specifc eforts have
been successful or not. It is also intended to stimulate conversation about how the people of Hawai‘i Island set priorities and
adjust their lifestyles to support local food producers and the contributions that such support stimulates in the local economy.
Finally, Hawaii County is not isolated in this issue. Food self-sufciency is a concern for all counties and for the State of Hawaii
as a whole. Real progress will require a collaborative efort and some strategic decisions to invest both public and private funds
where they will make the most diference. A small cluster of islands in the middle of the Pacifc Ocean does not have the luxury
to operate in isolation from one another. Leadership at the State level and strategic cooperation across the island chain is a fun
damental requirement for a sustained movement towards increased food self-sufciency in the great State of Hawai‘i.
4 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Acknowledgements
Te process of compiling the Hawai‘i County Food Self-Sufciency Baseline has required the support and insight of many
people, a few of whom require particular recognition.
Dayday Hopkins, Agricultural Specialist with the County’s Department of Research and Development, was part of the impetus
for this report. She and members of the Mayor’s Agricultural Advisory Commission, both individually and as a group, provided
useful input and inquiry throughout the process of this study.
Nick Turner, a graduate of University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (UHH), Geography and Environmental Studies program, played a lead
role in digitizing agricultural uses Island wide and producing graphics for this report. His expertise and patient demeanor were
a welcome addition to this project. Susan Yugawa and her staf at the UHH Graphics Department provided cover art and graphic
support that added greatly to the fnal product. UHH student interns, Mahina Patteson and Alex White both conducted projects
that supported this efort. Text editing and useful critique was provided by Julie Hugo, Rick Richardson and Peter Adler.
Reese Libby, GIS Specialist, NRCS Waimea Ofce, inspired the mapping efort through his pioneering efort in digitizing existing
agricultural activities on Hawai‘i Island and sharing his expertise.
Staf at the Kohala Center, including Betsy Cole, Nancy Redfeather and Melanie Bondera, provided a valuable sounding board
and brought their own passionate insights to the issues of local food and Island self-sufciency. Andrea Dean of Sustainable Ini
tiatives LLC in North Kohala contributed clear and thoughtful comments and developed the My Eat Local Hawai‘i Plate graphic
used in this report. Matthew Loke and PingSun Leong, both agricultural economists working with the College of Tropical Ag
riculture and Human Resources at UH Manoa provided insights on Island consumption patterns and authored several research
papers that helped to shape the outcome of the report.
Te authors are particularly grateful for the contributions of the nearly 150 individuals who were interviewed or played a role in
this report, graciously providing their time and insights (Appendix A).
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 5
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Table of Contents........................................................................................................................................................................................5-7
List of Figures................................................................................................................................................................................................ i8
List of Tables................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
1 Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
1.1 Scope of Work................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
1.2 Self-sufciency verses Sustainability............................................................................................................................................. 12
1.3 Food verses Non Food Agriculture............................................................................................................................................... 12
2 Food Self-sufciency on Hawai‘i Island............................................................................................................................................... 13
2.1 History of Food Self-sufciency in Hawai’i................................................................................................................................. 13
2.2 Measuring Hawai‘i Island Food Self-sufciency: 2012 .............................................................................................................. 16
2.2.1 Limitations in Available Data ............................................................................................................................................... 16
2.3 Measuring Food Demand .............................................................................................................................................................. 17
2.4 What Local Food Do We Produce? .............................................................................................................................................. 19
2.5 Hawai‘i Island Food Self-Sufciency Scorecard........................................................................................................................221
2.5.1 Fresh Milk ............................................................................................................................................................................... 23
2.5.2 Other Dairy Products ............................................................................................................................................................ 23
2.5.3 Local Beef ................................................................................................................................................................................ 24
2.5.4 Pigs, Sheep and Goats............................................................................................................................................................ 25
2.5.5 Fish and Seafood .................................................................................................................................................................... 26
2.5.6 Eggs and Poultry..................................................................................................................................................................... 26
2.5.7 Nuts .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
2.5.8 Vegetables................................................................................................................................................................................ 27
2.5.9 Starch ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
2.5.10 Fruit.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
2.5.11 Grains....................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
3 Summary of Hawai‘i Island Agriculture .............................................................................................................................................. 32
3.1 Agriculture Land Use...................................................................................................................................................................... 32
3.2 Crop Data......................................................................................................................................................................................... 32
6 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
3.3 Pasture Land .................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
3.4 Hawai‘i Island Irrigation Systems ................................................................................................................................................. 38
3.4.1 Waimea Irrigation System..................................................................................................................................................... 38
3.4.2 Honoka‘a-Pa‘auilo Irrigation System.................................................................................................................................... 38
3.4.3 Kohala Ditch ........................................................................................................................................................................... 38
3.4.4 Ka‘ū Springs............................................................................................................................................................................. 39
3.4.5 Dept. of Water Supply (DWS)............................................................................................................................................... 39
3.5 Agricultural Land Use Statistics.................................................................................................................................................... 41
3.5.1 State Land Use Agriculture ................................................................................................................................................... 41
3.5.2 LSB Soil Classifcation ........................................................................................................................................................... 41
3.5.3 Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawai‘i (ALISH)................................................................................ 41
3.6 Hawaii County General Plan: Important Agricultural Lands................................................................................................... 41
3.6.1 Existing Parcel Size and Truck Crop Production............................................................................................................... 42
3.7 Core Crop Lands ............................................................................................................................................................................. 42
3.8 Small Farm Opportunities ............................................................................................................................................................. 45
3.9 Other Existing Agricultural Statistics........................................................................................................................................... 47
3.10 Agriculture and Hawai‘i County Real Property Taxes ............................................................................................................... 48
3.10.1 Tax Policy and Food Self-Sufciency................................................................................................................................... 50
4 Regional Agricultural Summaries......................................................................................................................................................... 52
4.1 North Kohala ................................................................................................................................................................................... 52
4.1.1 North Kohala Contribution to Food Self-Sufciency........................................................................................................ 58
4.2 South Kohala.................................................................................................................................................................................... 59
4.2.1 South Kohala Contribution to Food Self-Sufciency........................................................................................................ 60
4.3 Hāmākua .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 63
4.3.1 Hāmākua’s Contribution to Food Self-sufciency ............................................................................................................. 66
4.4 North and South Hilo..................................................................................................................................................................... 67
4.4.1 North and South Hilo’s contribution to Food Self-sufciency......................................................................................... 71
4.5 Puna .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 73
4.5.1 Puna’s contributions to food self-sufciency ...................................................................................................................... 80
4.6 Ka‘ū.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 81
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 7
4.6.1 Ka‘ū’s Contribution to Food Self-sufciency ...................................................................................................................... 82
4.7 North and South Kona ................................................................................................................................................................... 85
4.7.1 Kona’s contribution to food self-sufciency ....................................................................................................................... 89
5 Seafood Resources ................................................................................................................................................................................. 90
5.1.1 Measuring Ocean Resources................................................................................................................................................. 91
5.1.2 Managing Hawai‘i Island’s Fisheries .................................................................................................................................... 91
5.1.3 Building an Ethic for Ocean Use .......................................................................................................................................... 92
6 Recreational and Subsistence Hunting................................................................................................................................................. 95
7 Hawai‘i Island Honey Bees .................................................................................................................................................................... 98
8 Issues that Impact Increased Food Production................................................................................................................................. 101
8.1 Energy Costs..................................................................................................................................................................................101
8.2 County Real Property Taxes ........................................................................................................................................................ 101
8.3 Food Safety..................................................................................................................................................................................... 101
8.4 Access to Capital ........................................................................................................................................................................... 102
8.5 Agricultural Labor ........................................................................................................................................................................ 102
8.6 Organic and Natural Farming ..................................................................................................................................................... 102
8.7 Price of Local Foods...................................................................................................................................................................... 102
8.8 Consumer Preferences.................................................................................................................................................................. 103
8.9 Genetically Modifed Organisms (GMO).................................................................................................................................. 103
8.10 Food Data Collection ................................................................................................................................................................... 103
8.11 Land Use Regulation..................................................................................................................................................................... 104
9 100 Ways to Increase Food Self-sufciency....................................................................................................................................... 105
10 References ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 110
Appendix A. List of People Contacted and Contributing to the Report............................................................................................ 110
Appendix B. Department of Agriculture Statistics on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in 2008 and 2009..........................................114
Appendix C. Ulupono Initiative - Local Food Market Demand Study Value Chain ....................................................................... 120
8 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
List of Figures
Figure 1. Pre-Contact Estimated Food Production Areas .................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 2. Summary of American Eating Habits ...................................................................................................................................... 18
Figure 3. My Eat Local Hawai‘i Plate ........................................................................................................................................................ 20
Figure 4. Hawai‘i Island Food Self-sufciency Scorecard ...................................................................................................................... 22
Figure 5. Hawai‘i Seasonality Chart.......................................................................................................................................................... 30
Figure 6. Hawai‘i Island Agricultural Land Use Summary.................................................................................................................... 33
Figure 7. Hawai‘i Island Crop Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 35
Figure 8. Percentage of pasture lands by judicial district....................................................................................................................... 36
Figure 9. Pasture Lands Summary ............................................................................................................................................................ 37
Figure 10. Agriculture Water Sources....................................................................................................................................................... 40
Figure 11. Crops by LSB Soils Class.......................................................................................................................................................... 41
Figure 12. Crops by ALISH Soil Types ..................................................................................................................................................... 41
Figure 13. Parcel Sizes Producing Truck Crops....................................................................................................................................... 42
Figure 14. Core Crop Lands....................................................................................................................................................................... 44
Figure 15. Small Farm Opportunities: Parcels under 20 acres .............................................................................................................. 46
Figure 16: Lands with Agricultural Use and Dedications Programs in 2011...................................................................................... 49
Figure 17. County RPT Agricultural Use or Dedication under 3 acres ............................................................................................... 51
Figure 18. North Kohala Crop Land Summary....................................................................................................................................... 55
Figure 19. South Kohala Crop Land Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 61
Figure 20. Hāmākua Crop Land Summary.............................................................................................................................................. 62
Figure 21. Waipi‘o Taro Lands in Production 2010................................................................................................................................. 65
Figure 22: Te Lower Hāmākua Ditch..................................................................................................................................................... 64
Figure 23. Hilo, North and South Crop Land Summary........................................................................................................................ 69
Figure 24. Upper Puna Crop Land Summary.......................................................................................................................................... 75
Figure 25. Lower Puna Crop Land Summary.......................................................................................................................................... 76
Figure 26. Puna Small Agriculture Use, 3 acres or less........................................................................................................................... 79
Figure 27. Ka‘ū Crop Land Summary ...................................................................................................................................................... 83
Figure 28. South Kona Crop Land Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 87
Figure 29. North Kona Crop Land Summary.......................................................................................................................................... 88
Figure 30: Division of Aquatic Resources commercial fsh catch data Hawai‘i Island 2001-2010 (pounds) .................................. 92
Figure 31. Hawai‘i Island Marine Management Areas ........................................................................................................................... 94
Figure 32: Mammals taken from State lands on Hawai‘i Island FY 1999 to FY 2011 (Source DOFAW)....................................... 95
Figure 33. Hawai‘i Island Public Hunting Areas ..................................................................................................................................... 96
Figure 34: Game Birds Harvested from Public Lands (Source DOFAW)............................................................................................ 97
Figure 35: Animals harvested per hunting trip on Hawai‘i Island, (Source DOFAW) ...................................................................... 97
Figure 36. Honey Bee Resources ............................................................................................................................................................. 100
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 9
List of Tables
Table 1. Te Food Challenge...................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Table 2. Estimate of Hawai‘i Island Food Demand ................................................................................................................................. 19
Table 3. Summary of Crop Acres on Hawai‘i Island 2012...................................................................................................................... 34
Table 4. Crop Categories............................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Table 5. Hawai‘i County real property tax assessed values for agricultural uses. ............................................................................... 48
Table 6. North Kohala Crop Land Acres .................................................................................................................................................. 52
Table 7. South Kohala Crop Land Acres................................................................................................................................................... 59
Table 8. Hāmākua Crop Land Acres ......................................................................................................................................................... 63
Table 9. North Hilo Crop Land Acres....................................................................................................................................................... 71
Table 10. South Hilo Crop Land Acres..................................................................................................................................................... 71
Table 11. Puna Crop Land Acres ............................................................................................................................................................... 73
Table 12. Ka‘ū Crop Land Acres ................................................................................................................................................................ 81
Table 13. South Kona Crop Land Acres.................................................................................................................................................... 86
Table 14. North Kona Crop Land Acre..................................................................................................................................................... 86
10 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 11
“We should start from the perspective that eating is an agricultural act”
- Poet and Philosopher Wendell Berry
1 Introduction
Tis report was prepared for the County of Hawai‘i Department of Research and Development and has two goals:
1. to provide a context for examining the issue of food self-sufciency on Hawai‘i Island and
2. to compile available data into a 2012 baseline with which to monitor Hawai‘i Island’s progress towards the goal of increased
food self-sufciency.
Te impetus for this report emerges from recommendations in Hawai‘i County’s 2010 Agriculture Development Plan, approved
by Council in 2011, to commission a baseline study for increased food self-sufciency. Although this report is not a road map to
food self-sufciency, it provides a benchmark to show us where Hawai‘i County is in early 2012 and what resources we have to
apply to the task of producing more food locally.
Te measure of success for this document is the degree to which the stakeholders and advocates of local food self-sufciency on
Hawai‘i Island use it to help reshape the ongoing discussion, focusing on the places, people, resources, policies, and purchasing
practices that can make the most impact on the amount of local food we produce and consume on the Island. 1.1 Scope of Work
Te scope of work for the project focused in three areas:
1. Agricultural Mapping
• Digital maps of existing agricultural activities and key
resources were created in a Geographic Information Sys
tem (GIS) based on satellite imagery, County of Hawai‘i
tax information and site visits. To summarize regional
farm and ranch activities, a map was generated for each
district to refect the unique characteristics of agricultur
al production that vary depending upon location. Tese
maps help to focus the discussion of food production
by providing a benchmark of where farming is already
occurring and where it varies by location, as well as iden
tifying opportunities to increase local production.
2. Summarize Current Food Production and Consumption Data
• Tis report uses available data to present several ways to
measure our current food production and consumption
on Hawai‘i Island. Tere are signifcant data limitations
associated with measuring both the local production and
consumption rates that handicap this discussion. Data
is simply not available to clearly defne the local resi
dent diet or measure the import of all food types. Farm
production data is equally hampered by limited record
keeping and recent changes in the State’s commitment
to track local food production. Within the context of
these constraints, the report provides several approaches
to help understand the food self-sufciency challenge by
focusing the discussion to areas where it might be most
productive.
12 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
3. Geodatabase Development
• A digital geodatabase for agricultural lands and related
resources has been developed for the County and the
general public. Much of this data is already in the public
domain and frequently used by planners and research
ers to shape land use and other policies. A new body of
information has been recently compiled to display the
existing agricultural activity on Hawai‘i Island. Tese
data are referenced and displayed in this report and will
be useful for monitoring the growth of new agricultural
activity in addition to analyzing the circumstances that
support current production.
Principal Investigators for this project were Jefrey Melrose of
Island Planning, a Hilo based land- use consulting business
and Dr. Donna Delparte of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo’s
(UHH) Geography and Environmental Studies Department.
Extensive GIS mapping and analysis was completed by Nick
Turner, UHH Research Assistant, using satellite imagery,
County Real Property land use data, Natural Resource Con
servation Service (NRCS) data and a wide range of interviews
and site visits with farmers and kama’aina in each farming
region. Outreach and conversations took place with nearly
200 individuals and agencies over an eight month period from
May 2011 to February 2012.
Several important distinctions are needed to set the stage of
this report:
1.2 Self-sufficiency versesSustainability
Tis report’s focus is food self-sufciency; the ability of
Hawai‘i Island residents to depend upon the resources of the
Island to support their food needs, including agriculture,
aquaculture, fshing, hunting and other activities that pro
duce nutrients. Te State of Hawai‘i’s level of dependency
on sources of food from elsewhere, driven largely by market
forces and consumer demand, has increased dramatically over
the last century. Te State’s integration into the global econ
omy has lef Hawai‘i’s residents vulnerable to disruptions in
food supply and susceptible to the geo-politics of oil and other
scarce resources.
Sustainability is a much bigger question than self-sufciency,
although these terms are ofen used interchangeably. Sustain
ability is an economic, social, and ecological concept that is
tied to the ability of systems to endure over the long term. It
is a societal challenge to develop new, “green” technologies,
to seek out alternative energy sources, to improve land use
and transportation patterns, to adjust individual lifestyles and
to pursue ethical consumerism. Tese are important chal
lenges that are woven into the food self-sufciency discussion
at many levels. Self-sufciency is linked to sustainability by
the cost of energy, the availability of fertilizers and feeds, the
health of ecosystems and other global factors that are beyond
the scope of this study.
1.3 Food verses Non Food Agriculture
Agriculture in Hawai‘i consists of edible and non-edible food
production for local consumption and those products that are
exported elsewhere. Export is an important part of Hawai‘i’s
agricultural production history and is a major driver of the
economic engine that supports rural economies around the
state. Sugar, macadamia, cofee, fowers and foliage are all pro
duced on Hawai‘i’s agricultural land but only a portion of each
remains in the state to feed or, otherwise support, our lifestyle.
Tese export crops are the largest user of agricultural land
on Hawai‘i Island and account for over 50% of the intensive
agricultural land use on the Island.
Tis study maps crop lands to inform a baseline of agricultural
land use, however; it will focus mostly on the food elements of
our local production and less on the 1,700 acres of non-edible
fower and foliage production or the 21,000 acres of the largely
export oriented macadamia industry. Tese are both impor
tant parts of our agricultural industry but play a relatively
minor role in propelling food self-sufciency.
Tis report is intended as an aid to inform ongoing food self-
sufciency discussions. It is a work in progress and provides
several tools by which to identify our current status and to
monitor our progress towards producing more of our own
food on Hawai‘i Island.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 13
2 Food Self-sufficiency on Hawai‘i Island
Breadfruit or ‘ulu was an important food staple for early Hawaiians
2.1 History of Food Self-sufficiency in Hawai’i
Prior to the frst human settlement of the Hawaiian Islands,
there was little in the way of edible food growing on the is
lands. Fresh water, seafood and nesting seabirds were abun
dant but there was little in the way of edible food growing on
the islands. Te frst Hawaiian voyagers brought a small suite
of canoe crops to insure their survival when they arrived,
including breadfruit, taro, sugar cane, gourds, coconut, wauke
and a few other plants
that could survive the
open ocean journey.
Pigs, chickens and
dogs also came in early
voyages. Successive
voyages brought ad
ditional food, wood,
oil and fber plants.
Early Hawaiians fed
themselves by farm
ing, animal husbandry
and the gathering of
wild plants, birds and
seafood. By the time
of western contact,
Hawaiian society had
amassed an intimate
knowledge of how to plant and manage the natural and agri
cultural bounty of these remote Islands. Tere were no outside
food resources available and residents of the Hawaiian Islands
were 100% food self sufcient.
Estimates of Hawaiian population at the time of western con
tact vary widely. the frst census was not conducted until 1832,
over 50 years afer contact. Pre-con
sustained supply of kalo and other products that were eaten
locally and traded islandwide. Large dry land agricultural
complexes in Kona and North Kohala expanded, receded and
expanded again as demand for food varied over the years.
In every settlement area there were gardens to provide food
for its residents in seasonal cycles. Te ahupua’a system that
divided lands into units running from the forested mountains
to the waters of shore was a basic building block of food self-
sufciency. ‘Ohana played an essential role in food productiv
ity with the inter-dependency of the family unit being a basic
building block for the communal efort it took to insure that
there was a dependable food supply for all.
Te shoreline and surrounding ocean provided a rich supply
of protein, salt and other nutrients that was harvested in ac
cordance with the natural ebb and fow of marine life. Tese
practices were guided by observed traditions and protocols
that helped to insure a sustainable food supply. Food, tools,
fbers and stone were gathered from nature and the techniques
of their use were refned and passed from generation to gen
eration. Stone and fber were the extent of the “technology”
available to produce both food and shelter. Feeding the Island’s
population required hard work and everyone had a role and
a responsibility in the process. Tere were times of shortage
and times of plenty, there was trade and barter and there were
strict practices and religious beliefs that wove the many acts of
food self-sufciency into an accomplished art.
Te traditional Hawaiian food palette was substantially less
complicated than what we enjoy today. Hawai‘i ate what it
could provide and imported nothing. Simple staples such as
kalo, ‘ulu, u‘ala and plantains provided basic starches. Fish and
meat from chickens and pigs pro
vided proteins. Tere were few fruits tact population estimates for Hawaii or nuts, no grains, no wide array of Native Hawaiian Food Palette Island range from 80,000 to 400,000 spices and few options to allow for with most estimates in the 100,000 Prior to Western Contact storage without spoilage. Providing to 150,000 range1. By comparison the Taro, Sweet Potato, Yams, Banana, food for over 100,000 Island residents 2010 US Census for Hawai‘i Island Coconut, Arrow Root, Fish, Shellfsh. was a relentless task. It was made documents 185,000 residents. Seaweed, Pig, Chicken, Breadfruit, Sugar somewhat easier by a rich, varied
A depiction of the estimated agri-Cane, Sea Salt landscape but ultimately hard work,
cultural foot print for Hawai‘i Island shared knowledge, and daily persis
prior to western contact is provided tence was required by everyone to
in Figure 1. Wetland farming in the sustain early life in the islands.
rain fed gulches of Kohala, Hāmākua, and Hilo produced a
1 Robert Schmitt, “New Estimates of Pre-Censal Population in Hawai‘i”, Te
Journal of Polynesian Society, 1971, Vol. 80, No. 2, pp. 241-242
14 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Figure 1. Pre-Contact Estimated Food Production Areas
Backyard gardening was an important supplement to the diet of
local families in the plantation era
(Photo courtesy of Wayne Subica)
Food Self-sufciency in Decline
Hawaiian food self-sufciency remained largely uninter
rupted for decades afer western contact. Western goods like
cloth, tools, building materials and leather goods entered the
Hawaiian market place but most people still depended on
locally produced foods to subsist. In the early 1800’s local
surplus was ofen sold or traded to passing sailing ships to feed
their crews. During the mid-1800’s signifcant shipments of
Hawaiian sweet potato and other foods helped to feed workers
during the Gold Rush on the West Coast. Other introduced
plants, like oranges, were planted to be sold to sailing ves
sels to protect crew members from scurvy and other forms of
malnutrition.
In these early years, the shif from a self-sufcient/barter
economy to a cash economy began to unravel the collective
commitment to local food production which was the founda
tion of the pre-contact self-sufcient food system.
During the 1800’s, new plants and animals were introduced,
expanding the local food palette. Imported canned, salted
and dried goods supplemented local food production and the
selection of available goods grew dramatically. Mom and Pop
stores opened up around the Island ofering options to local
food production and creating small market places to sell lo
cally produced foods to those who were no longer focused on
producing food for themselves.
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, plantation communities
fourished around the Islands. Immigrant labor from Asia and
Western Europe brought with them their own collection of
plants and spices to the Island diet. Some of this was imported
and some of it, like rice, was extensively cultivated in the same
areas that once produced taro and other native foods. Back
yard gardening was a common practice and workers assumed
the responsibility to produce as much of their own food as
possible. Gardening was not a luxury; it was an essential part
of feeding families and providing the varieties of fresh produce
that Hawai‘i’s ethnically diverse communities wanted.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 15
Troughout rural Hawai‘i, most plantation and ranching com
munities had their own dairies that produced and delivered
milk products to local door steps. Local Hilo historian Wayne
Subica documents 132 private and commercial dairies on
Hawai‘i Island between 1894 and 19642. In 1930 alone, there
were over 130 dairies in the Territory, most of which were in
windward O‘ahu, to provide milk, and butter to the growing
city of Honolulu3.Piggeries were common in many commu
nities and chickens were raised as part of daily life. Canned
goods that could withstand the long journey from other parts
of the world became increasingly common in local stores,
but much of the available fresh food was still produced and
distributed locally.
Electricity on Hawai‘i Island was frst produced from the fow
of irrigation ditch water at the Hilo Boarding School in 1890,
much of which was used to produce ice. Household refrigera
tors were not commercially available until the 1930’s, so for
decades, ice was the principal method to keep meat and other
foods fresh in Hawai‘i’s tropical climate. In 1894, with demand
for ice and electrical power growing rapidly, the Boarding
Hawai‘i Island is deeply embedded in the global food system.
Fresh produce from around the world is available locally
every day of the year.
School’s system was turned over to Hilo Electric Light Co.
who produced half ton slabs of ice and delivered it in blocks
to nearby residents and businesses. Hilo’s fshing feet, based
at the Wailoa River, grew rapidly in the early 1900’s in direct
proportion to the growth of the local ice industry and expand
ing population Island wide.4
In the late 1940’s, spurred by WWII innovation, the shipping
industry adapted refrigeration technology to shipping contain
ers and began delivering fresh food items to the Islands. As
the capacity for fresh imports increased, so did the demand
for crops that Hawai‘i could not grow. Refrigerated shipping
2 Wayne Subica, personal communication
3 David Livingstone Crawford, Hawai‘i’s Crop Paradise, 1937
4 Subica, Mom and Pops Before Wal-Mart and K-Mart, Volume 1, 2010
16 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
opened up the Hawai‘i market to a wide range of foreign prod
ucts that could be delivered to Hawai‘i docks at a price that
was cheaper than what could be produced locally.
In a period of about 60 years, from 1900-1960, Hawai‘i be
came fully integrated into the web of world food production
and supply. Local food production declined substantially as
families relied less on their own gardens and neighborhoods
for food and more on large retail grocers to put food on their
tables. Hawai‘i’s food preferences shifed from the simple
array of foods that could be locally grown to a global array of
both fresh and processed foods that can be stored easily and
sourced from farmers around the world, regardless of season.
In 2012, Hawai‘i Island is deeply embedded in a global food
system that relies heavily on cheap energy and access to a rela
tively inexpensive global food system built
on economies of scale. Large agribusiness
networks produce and consolidate the
food production process, enabling mas
sive amounts of fresh and processed food
to be produced at prices well below what
most communities around the country
could match. Fresh vegetables from the
Central Valley of California, fresh fruits
from around the world in seasonal abun
dance, beef from feedlots in the western US
and New Zealand, fsh from China and the
Philippines and processed foods from ma
jor corporate producers around the globe
have come to defne the global food system.
Large retailers like Foodland, Safeway and
Costco have helped to shape our consumer
expectations that all foods are available all
the time, seemingly fresh and displayed in
ample piles of abundance.
Global shipping and delivery systems have eliminated the need
for long term food storage warehouses. Technological advances
in “just in time” delivery enables shelves to be stocked from
newly arrived containers parked at the back of the store. Today,
it is estimated that there is between 7 and 21 days of food stored
on Hawai‘i Island at any time. Tis estimate comes from Hawai‘i
County Civil Defense and is predicated on the assumption that
there would be some orderly dispersal of available foods if the
supply chain were interrupted. If hording by individuals oc
curred during such a crisis, even what little food storage there is
would disappear more quickly.
From a short list of locally grown and collected foods in 1778,
Hawai‘i residents now choose daily from thousands of difer
ent foods that are grown, packaged, processed and shipped
from places and by people we rarely consider when we shop.
We are detached from the food we eat and have come to ex
pect nothing less than to eat what we want, when we want.
Farmers’ Markets are a growing trend in local food distribution. Most transactions are conducted in cash and are hard to measure
It would be futile to believe that Hawai‘i could entirely un
ring the bell of global food dependency. Returning to a state
of 100% food self-sufciency is not a practical goal in this
modern era. Hawai‘i Island could however set some goals that
refect times in its plantation era past where communities were
signifcantly more food self reliant, where demand was shaped
by the types of food the Island produces and neighbors help to
feed each other.
2.2 Measuring Hawai‘i Island Food Self-sufficiency: 2012
2.2.1 Limitations in Available Data
Measuring Hawai‘i County’s food dependency in 2012 is a
signifcant challenge. It is difcult to de
termine, with any certainty, what is pro
duced locally versus what is imported to
the State, let alone provide a break-down
by County. Data sources are limited. For
decades, the Department of Agriculture
(DOA) and the National Agricultural
Statistical Service (NASS) have collected
data on local fruit and vegetable produc
tion and maintained a record of imports
verses local production of agricultural
goods. Tat data collection efort was
discontinued in 2009 due to budget short
ages with the layof of 25 State employees
in the Agricultural Statistic Division of
DOA. It has been several years since even
minimal amounts of agricultural data
were collected in Hawai‘i. Gone too is the
collection of farm gate pricing data that
helped farmers price their production
against a Statewide or Island averages. A
copy of the tables summarizing vegetable and fruit production
and imports published in 2008 and 2009 is included in Appen
dix B to illustrate the diference between what was collected in
2008 compared to the lack of data available in years following
the 2009 State layofs.
A National Census of Agriculture is conducted by NASS every
fve years. Tis provides a rich data base of farm activity in
a wide variety of categories. Data is gathered from a 25 page
survey that is sent to ranchers, farmers, bee keepers and other
agricultural producers across the nation. Filling out the cen
sus is voluntary and compliance varies from place to place. In
Hawai‘i, most of the data collected in the NASS survey refects
statewide production numbers and rarely disaggregates to
the County level. Tis report will reference NASS data from
the 2007 Census. Readers should understand that NASS is a
diligent efort by the USDA to collect agricultural data but it
is only as good as the people who complete the census survey.
Te last NASS census was published in 2009 from data col
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 17
lected in 2007. Te next census will be conducted in 2012 and
will be published in 2014.
On the consumption side of the discussion, there is a diverse
set of food distributors, grocery stores, restaurants, and insti
tutions that operate in between the farmer/rancher and the
end consumer. Tese are business relationships that operate
in a competitive environment that makes it difcult to access
detailed documentation of just how much food gets delivered
and consumed in Hawai‘i County. Tere is no central source,
nor a set of data sources that clearly defne what foods gets
distributed locally and what we import from elsewhere. Tis
study will explore strategies for measuring our consumption,
but there is no defnitive set of data to defne how much of
what crop or food type is eaten annually on Hawai‘i Island.
Tere are large portions of the food supply chains that are not
measured. Farmers Markets are a growing trend in Hawai‘i
County. Tere are currently over 25 regular farmers markets
in operation on the Island and more emerging all the time.
Ideally, farmers markets are a way for farmers to sell their
produce directly to consumers. Many vendors also purchase
fruits and vegetables from distributors and resell them at the
market. Sales are largely transacted in cash and there is no de
fnitive source of data available to measure the amount of local
produce purchased in this manner.
Also missing from Hawai‘i’s food data collection is a way to
measure the amount of food that is produced in home gardens
for local consumption. Recreational fshing goes largely un
recorded, as do portions of the local meat supply from cattle,
pigs, sheep, and goats that are slaughtered privately. Small
ranchers, pig farmers, and goat herders harvest hundreds of
animals annually for personal use, family gatherings, and
parties, none of which appears in public data sources. Te best
this baseline study can do is to acknowledge these informal
sources of local food exchange and make some informed esti
mates as to their volume.
2.3 Measuring Food Demand
Given the state of data on food production and consump
tion on Hawai‘i Island, there is no reasonable way to accu
rately measure just how much food is consumed here annu
ally. Tere are, however, useful ways to estimate overall food
demand in the County and to characterize local food demand
based on the diferent types of food in the average diet.
Measuring food demand in Hawai‘i County starts with popula
tion. Based on the 2010 census the County’s resident popula
tion was 185,079. Hawai‘i’s economy is largely based on hospi
tality so the food demand of visitors is part of the Island’s basic
consumption pattern. Based on Hawai‘i Visitor and Convention
Bureau (HVCB) data in 2010, there were roughly 1.3 million
visitors on the Island with an average length of stay of 7.1 days5.
Tis is equivalent to 9.23 million total visitor days annually.
5 December 2011 Visitor Statistics, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.
Divide that by 365 days and there is an average of 25,287 visi
tors on the Island every day. Te combined resident and visitor
population is referred to as the de facto population and amounts
to 210, 366 mouths to feed on the Island every day. Assuming
Table 1. The Food Challenge
Te Food Challenge
Resident Population 2010 185,079
Average Daily Visitor Count
Total De facto Population
25,287
210,366
X 3 Meals per Day 631,098 Meal per Day
three meals per day, Hawai‘i Island needs the capacity to serve
an average of over 630,000 meals per day (Table 1).
Translating population counts into the actual amount of food
consumed is more complicated. Tere is no research that de
picts the amount and types of food that Hawai‘i Island residents
consume annually. Tere are, however, several national food
consumption models based on mainland eating habits which
can be used to get a broad understanding of food demand.
Hawai‘i’s eating habits are likely to vary from mainland norms
in areas like fsh and rice consumption for instance, but research
on the diferences between mainland and local eating habits has
not been published.
Allowing for a variation between local and national consump
tion patterns, Table 2 displays the average consumption, in
pounds per year, of selected food groups. Tese numbers are
derived from a USDA report published in 2008 and utilizing
estimated per capita numbers from 20006. Each per capita food
group number is then multiplied by the number of Hawai‘i
Island resident and the de facto population to include visitors
on the island on any given day. Tis data suggest that Hawai‘i
Island requires over 410 million pounds of food annually to feed
its combined resident and visitor population. It is also useful to
note the relative percentages of total food that each food group
involves. Food groups with the largest volume by weight are
dairy, vegetables and fruit.
USDA’ Economic Research Service indicates that the aggregate
food supply in 2000 provided 3800 calories per person per day.
Of that number, roughly 1,100 calories were lost to spoilage,
plate waste, cooking and other losses.7 Add to this the amount
of spoilage that happens on farms, ranches and fshing boats and
it is clear that gross food demand is signifcantly higher than just
what appears in stores or gets loaded in cars at the market.
Another way to visualize these numbers was developed by a frm
named Visualeconomics whose website features creative ways to
visualize important social issues. Teir graphic “What Are We
6 Average per capita consumption derived from charts in USDA Fact Book,
Chapter 2; Profling Food Consumption in America, 2008. Numbers based on
2000 estimates
7 USDA Agricultural Fact Book 2001-2002, Ch. 2, Profling Food Consump
tion in America
ARE WE EATING?
What the Average American Consumes in a Year
Coffee, Cocoa & Nuts
241bs
Fats & Oils
85.51bs I
Red Meat
110 lbs
The Average American
• Age:36.6
That includes:
(eveoyyear)
French Fries
291bs
Pizza
231bs
Ice Cream
241bs
Soda
53 gallons
(about a
gallon/week)
Height:
5'9"(m)
5'4" (f)
Weight:
190 lbs(m)
1641bs(f)
Rour & Cereal Products
192.3 1bs
Artificial
Sweeteners
241bS
, v e , ..
Sodium
2.736 1bs
( 4 7•...;. more than
recommended)
vlsuo.leconomlc s.com
SOURCES:
tupllwww fda.gov
httpilwww usda..govAactbcJokA:hap(er2.hlm
tupllwwwcdcgov-hsrH10;rtl10 pdf
hnp:l/wwwU'leStarooi'T\Ibusnesslatt:ldef7f!JJ147-det'l'li:Wld-tor·spuc;s.drop~as-amercans-eat-fewer-tries
hUplJwelness.blogs ~-o::wnl201o.o6126o+line<lut-ot-l()..an'alc::ens-eal-too-rT'I..lCh-saft/
htrpl/www bellaonlone oomla!1>cleslal-
tup./AwtW friclrospizz:acom/
ttlp/lwwwSCIJIT'doctorCXlftlt\1utn~..foodfr·ench-lnes/Average-NtM"nber~-F18f"'Ch.-Fnes-E:attYl-By-Amen;;an&-Ead"t-Yearhtml
hap/htww •nfop6ease c:omApa/A0104742..tcrnl
hapJJflr'ldartJc:ias.OOtnl)llartictesltnt mc913As __ 3 _ 261ai_542716141
Cheese
31.41bs
Dairy Products
(non-cheese)
600.51bs
•includes lood bougMJSarved but not eaten !leftOVers}
Caffeine
0.2 1bs
(90,700 mg)
And 2,700 calories
a day
18 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Figure 2. Summary of American Eating Habits
Summary of Average 36 year old American Eating Habits from Visualeconomics http://visualeconomics.creditloan.
com/?s=Average+food+consumption
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 19
Eating” is provided in Figure 2. Te Table 2. Estimate of Hawai‘i Island Food Demand
numbers used for each food group
may vary slightly from the USDA
numbers used in Table 2, but the
diferences are relatively slight. In
order to monitor progress towards
improved food self-sufciency, there
needs to be some consensus devel
oped statewide about what con
sumption numbers are relevant and
which need to be adapted to refect
eating patterns that are unique to
Hawai‘i.
Eating at Home Verses Eating Out
According to the 2010 Census,
the average American household
spends 13.7% of their household
income on food8. A 2008 report
prepared for the Cooperative Extension Service suggests that in
2005, Honolulu consumers spent 52.3% of their household food
budget on food eaten at home and 47.7% of that budget purchas
ing food away from home.9
Tis suggests that most Hawai‘i residents control only a portion
of their personal food buying decisions. Many of these deci
sions are delegated to restaurants and other food establishments.
Te practice of eating out frequently will vary from one Hawai‘i
Island community to the next, but clearly, much of the food
we consume we do not purchase or prepare ourselves. For the
25,000 daily visitors, that number is substantially higher.
Restaurants menus define a significant portion of Hawaiian Island food purchase decisions
8 Hawai‘i County Data Book 2010, Table 12-12
9 Economic Impacts of Increasing Hawai‘i’s Food Self-sufciency, PingSun
Leong and Matthew Loke, UHM cooperative Extension Service Economic
Issues EI-16
Food Type Average
lbs/year
Hawai‘i County
residents lbs/year
De facto
Population
lbs/year
% of Total
diet
Grains 199.9 36,997,292 42,052,163 10.2%
Sweeteners 152.4 28,206,040 32,059,778 7.8%
Fruits 279.4 51,711,073 58,776,260 14.3%
Vegetables 428.7 79,343,367 90,183,904 21.9%
Added Fats and Oils 74.5 13,788,386 15,672,267 3.8%
Dairy 593 109,751,847 124,747,038 30.4%
Meat, fsh, eggs, & nuts
red meat 113.5 21,006,467 23,876,541 5.8%
poultry 66.5 12,307,754 13,989,339 3.4%
fsh 15.5 2,868,725 3,260,673 0.8%
eggs 21.2 3,923,675 4,459,759 1.1%
nuts 8.8 1,628,695 1,851,221 0.5%
TOTAL 1953.4 361,533,319 410,928,944 100%
Restaurants, fast food outlets, and prepared foods at grocery
stores account for a signifcant amount of Hawai‘i Island
residents’ decision making about what food to eat and where it
comes from. Institutions such as schools, hospitals, care homes,
prisons etc. also make food decisions for signifcant portion
of Island residents. Some restaurants have tried hard to brand
themselves as serving fresh, locally grown meats and produce.
Others get their food directly from mainland distribution net
works with little or no attention to local sources. Public schools,
in particular, get substantial portions of their food from national
food surplus distribution networks, passing on signifcant cost
savings for school lunches. are explored.
Many fne dining restaurants on Hawai‘i Island have taken
the opportunity to promote the use of local produce. Chefs
around the Island now provide steady markets for some of
Hawai‘i Island’s highest quality fruits, vegetables, meats and
condiments. Tese chefs understand the value of serving
fresh, local food and connecting their clientele to the special
characteristics of Hawai‘i’s food supply. Tis trend is ofen
referred to as “Farm to Plate” and is a national phenomenon,
particularly in the world of fne dining.
2.4 What Local Food Do We Produce?
Hawai‘i Island produces a wide array of fresh foods and a
relatively small number of value-added, processed foods made
from local produce. Year-round growing conditions produce
a rich set of fruits and vegetables, a small selection of starches,
virtually no grains, processed dairy products, and an assort
ment of meats and fsh. Virtually all of these locally produced
foods have various growing seasons, so not all of what is
produced is available in the market place all of time. Tere are
also thousands of regularly-eaten food products that are un
• Beet Greens
• Beets
• Bittermelon
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
Chard
• Collards
• Cucumbers
• Daikon (Radish)
• Edamame
Eggplant
• Gobo !Burdock)
• Green Beans
• Green Onions
• Jicama (Chop Suey Potato)
• Kale
Kohlrabi
• Lettuce
• Lu'au leaf
Mushrooms
• Mustard Greens
FRUITS Fruits
• Avocado
• Banana
• Coconut
• Dragon Fruit
• Grapefruit
• Guava
• Jack Fruit
• Kumquat
• Lemon
• Lichee
• Limes
• Lilikoi
• Logan
• Mango
• Melon
• Okra
Pak Choi
• Mountain apple
• Peppers
• Pip inola (Chayote)
Purslane
• Radishes
Salad Greens
• Seaweed
• Snow Peas
• Spinach
• Summer squash
• Sweet potato greens
• Tomato
Warabi (Ho · i · o)
• Watercress
• Wing Beans
Won Bok
• Orange
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Poha Berries
• Pomelo
• Rambutan
• Sapote
• Soursop
• Star Fruit
• Strawberry
• Tangerine
• Watermelon
Resources
Look for locally grown at island food stores and buy local!
Ask the produce manager at your food store to carry more
locally grown fruits, vegetables and products.
Farmers Markets and CSA's:
hawaiihomegrown.net/resources/farmers-marketscsas
Hawaii Organic Marketplace:
hawai iorganic. org/ organic -rna rketplace
Learn More Online
eatlocalhi.org ( hawaiihomegrown.net I hawaiifruit.net
slowfoodhawaii.org I hawaiiorganic.org I hawaiifoods.hawaii.edu
"" I<AISfR PERMANENT£, thrtve e lJNI\'IJ.llofiY
1 tof IIA"AII
~ HILO
The North Kohala Eat Locally Grown initiative is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and the County
of Hawai's-Oepartment of Research and Development and the County Council. The North Kohala
Eat Locally Grown Campaign is a project of the North Kohala Community Resource Center.
For posters or permission to post contact us online at eatlocalhi.org
Protein
• Butter
• Goat Cheese
• Milk -KTA's Mountain
Apple Brand
• Ricotta Cheese
Homemade
• Yogurt-Homemade
EAT LOCAL PLATE MENU IDEAS
PROTEIN
• Beef
• Chicken
• Edamame
• Eggs
• Fish
• Lamb
• Pork
• Macadamia
Nuts
• Seafood
(Shrimp and
Abalone)
GRAINS-STARCH
Breadfruit
Cassava
• Cooking Banana
Corn
Oasheen
• Kabocha Squash
• Okinawan Sweet
Potato
Pumpkin
• Potato
Taro
Uhi (Yam)
OIL-SWEET-SALT
• Cane Sugar
• Chocolate
• Hawaiian Salt
• Honey
• Mac Nut Oil
• Vanilla
Follow the portion sizes on the plate above with 50% or greater of the meal
or snack coming from the fruit and vegetable group.
Breakfast Ideas
• Eggs. veggies and herbs. meat. sauteed potatoes or breadfruit
• Potato or cassava pancakes with onion and egg
• Fruit salad with mac nuts, honey and homemade yogurt or ricotta or
fresh coconut
• Smoothie with milk and fruit
• Sauteed banana with honey, nuts and fresh ricotta
• Baked custard cup with fruit
• Poi and fruit
Quick Lunch or Dinner
• Avocado stuffed with flaked fish. tomatoes and onion with a squeeze of lemon
• Potato/sweet potato salad with hard cooked egg and veggies
• Salad with grilled fish or meat, hard cooked eggs, goat cheese
• Gnlled veggies with fish. meat. eggs or goat cheese or homemade ricotta
• Use a lettuce wrap for chopped meat/fish or veggies
• Soups-meat and veggies or veggie thickened with any of the starchy
veggies listed.
Snacks
• Fruit
• Raw veggies
• Hard cooked egg
• Mac nuts
• Guacamole with veggies
• Boiled or baked sweet potatoes
Salad Dre:;:;ing and Seasoning
• Mac nut oil and lemon, lilikoi or lime, herbs
• Thinned down guacamole
• Fresh herbs, onions. ginger. chili
• Zest of lemon and limes. fruit
• Homemade mayo with egg, lemon juice and mac nut oil
• Homemade Yogurt-flavor as you like
Menu suggestions from VIVIenne Aronowitz M.P.H., RO. Nutritionist
20 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Figure 3. My Eat Local Hawai‘i Plate
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 21
likely to be produced in Hawai‘i. Cereals, pasta, rice, cheese,
temperate climate fruits, and some popular vegetables are all
outside the reach of Hawai‘i’s agricultural production capacity
in a practical, economic sense.
Figure 3 provides a graphic poster developed by Andrea Dean
of Sustainable Initiatives LLC, in partnership with this food
baseline study. It depicts a listing of what foods Hawai‘i Island
produces in the context of an adapted USDA My Plate graphic.
Te My Plate Graphic was released in 2011 to replace the na
tional food pyramid model and emphasizes the balanced diet
promoted by the US Department of Agriculture10.
2.5 Hawai‘i Island Food Self-Sufficiency Scorecard
Figure 4 displays the current state of Hawai‘i Island’s food self-
sufciency dilemma in terms of common food groups and the
percentage of total consumption that is produced locally on
Hawai‘i Island. Te specifc percentage number in the graph
displays the amount of local production that can be docu
mented based on formal sources of data. Te gradient portion
of each column displays an estimate of the informal sources
of food that contribute to the overall food supply. Many of
the food types produced on the island are also exported to
other islands or out of the State. Export opportunities are part
of what drives the economics of local agriculture and links
Hawai‘i Island food producers to the demands of the State and
global marketplace. Data sources for this graph come from a
range of sources that are discussed in the sections that follow.
10 USDA Choose My Plate.gov
Ha
w
a
i
‘
i
I
s
l
a
n
d
FO
O
D
S
E
L
F
-
S
U
F
F
I
C
I
E
N
C
Y
S
C
O
R
E
C
A
R
D
:
2
0
1
2
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
o
f
l
o
c
a
l
l
y
p
r
o
d
u
c
e
d
f
o
o
d
c
o
n
s
u
m
e
d
b
y
f
o
o
d
g
r
o
u
p
22 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Figure 4. Hawai‘i Island Food Self-sufficiency Scorecard
FRESH MILK
OTHER DAIRY
BEEF
PIGS, SHEEP, GOATS
FISH
POULTY, EGGS
NUTS
VEGETABLES
STARCH
FRUIT
GRAINS
95
%
<5
%
17
%
51
%
<5
%
34
%
<5
%
<1
0
%
32
%
0%
In
fo
r
m
a
l
Ha
rv
e
s
t
In
fo
r
m
a
l
Ha
rv
e
s
t
,
Hu
n
t
i
n
g
In
fo
r
m
a
l
Ca
t
ch
,
Se
l
l
,
Sh
a
r
e
Ho
m
e
U
s
e
Sh
a
r
e
Ho
m
e
Ga
rd
e
n
s
,
Far
m
e
r
s
Ma
r
k
e
t
Sh
a
r
e
,
Fa
r
m
e
r
s
Ma
r
k
e
t
H
o
m
e
Ga
rd
e
n
s
0%
EX
P
O
RT
EX
P
O
RT
EX
P
O
RT
EX
P
O
RT
EX
P
O
RT
EX
P
O
RT
EX
P
O
RT
Fi
g
u
r
e
4
.
Ba
s
e
l
i
n
e
S
t
u
d
y
f
o
r
F
o
o
d
S
e
l
f
S
u
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y
i
n
H
a
w
a
i
i
C
o
u
n
t
y
2.5.1 Fresh Milk
In 2012, the only two remaining dairies in the State, both lo
cated on Hawai‘i Island, produced an average of 7,600 gal/day
or about 14% of the State’s total fresh milk demand11. Hawai‘i
Island in the 2010 census was 14% of the State’s population.
Hawai‘i Island dairy production is equal to, or exceeds, the total
amount of fresh milk consumed on the Island, and has been
that way for several years.
Milk from both Big Island Dairy in ‘O‘okala and Clover Leaf
Dairy in North Kohala is sold to Meadow Gold and processed
exclusively in their facility in Hilo. Te
milk is packaged in various sized milk con
tainers under a variety of labels, including
KTA’s Mountain Apple, Safeway’s Lucerne,
Foodland’s Best Yet, and Costco’s Kirk
land, among others. A portion of Hawai‘i
Island’s milk supply is also packaged as
Hawai‘i Fresh and shipped to other islands
for branded local milk sales through Food-
land, Whole Foods and other retailers on
O‘ahu, Maui and Kaua‘i. During periods of the year when milk
production is high, milk is also shipped of Island in bulk con
tainers to be mixed with imported milk at the Meadow Gold
facility on O‘ahu.
As long as local milk production is adequate to cover the cur
rent Hawai‘i Island demand of fresh milk, virtually all brands
of fresh milk sold on Hawai‘i Island come from Hawai‘i Island
sources. To confrm that the milk consumers’ drink is locally
produced, look for the Meadow Gold processors code on the
top of the container with numbers beginning in 1506.
No organic milk or soy milk products are produced locally
and there are some smaller milk brands that appear on local
shelves imported from elsewhere. Roughly 95% of all fresh
milk consumed on the Island comes from local dairies. Tis
included milk provided to students at DOE lunch programs.
Market conditions keep locally produced milk on local gro
cery shelves in 2012. A disruption in supply from either dairy
would require imports to meet existing demand.
Te USDA estimates that the average American consumes
593 pounds of Dairy products per person per year. (Table 2).
Fresh milk constitutes about 34% of the Dairy food category
by weight12. Milk consumption in America has declined by
38% since the 1950’s and cheese consumption has increased
nearly four times. Te USDA estimates that part of this shif is
the increased frequency of Americans to eat away from home
and the replacement of milk with sof drinks.13
11 Personal conversation with Grant Tomita, DOA Milk Control Specialist.
12 USDA Agricultural Fact Book 2001-2002 Ch. 2, Table 2-2, milks weighs 8.6
pounds per gallon, divided by total dairy products
13 Ibid, Ch 2
Roughly 95% of all
fresh milk consumed
on the Island comes
from local dairies.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 23
2.5.2 Other Dairy Products
Butter fats from Hawai‘i Island dairies are processed locally
at Meadow Gold to produce much of the half and half and
whipping cream available on the Island. Surplus butter fat is
shipped to Honolulu for similar processing. Tere are several
goat cheese dairies on the Island producing small volumes of
cheese that is sold at markets and to restaurants. Goat cheese
is a boutique product with a very narrow slice of the overall
dairy product market.
Given that there is no signifcant cheese, butter or yogurt pro
duction on Hawai‘i Island, only a small
proportion of the supply of other dairy
products consumed on the Island comes
from local sources. Half and half and
whipping cream are the extent of other
dairy products on local shelves from local
sources. Tis amounts to something less
than 5% of the total Other Dairy category.
Te remainder is imported from the
global marketplace.
New Directions in Dairy
In 2012, there are approximately 3,360 acres in dairy use on
Hawai‘i Island, including pasture, silage production, and milk
barns. Island Dairy in ‘O‘okala has just changed hands and the
Clover Leaf Dairy in North Kohala is for sale. Both of these
existing operations require new capital investment to keep
them operational. A new dairy is proposed for State lands near
Pa‘auilo with an emphasis on local cheese production and is
in search of start-up capital. Tere are also several new dair
ies under consideration, some on Hawai‘i Island, Kaua‘i, and
O‘ahu. Establishing a series of stable milk producers across the
state is an important step in securing the state’s self-sufciency
in this important food group.
Cows pasturing outside of the Dairy in ‘O‘okala
Dairy operations have many challenges to overcome includ
ing the disposal of waste material and the production of local
feeds to replace imported grains. Cows do best in a cool envi
ronment between 500-1000’ elevation with adequate rainfall
24 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
to produce pasture grass in the areas immediately around the
dairy. Dairies also require farmable acreage to support the
growth of corn or other silage to supplement imported feed
costs. Due to the concentration of large animals, dairies are
best sited away from population centers.
2.5.3 Local Beef
Te total state of Hawai‘i’s cow herd inventory in 2009 was
81,20014. In that year, 57,000 calves were marketed, the majority
of which were sent to the mainland for fnishing. 43,500 head
or 76% of all Hawai‘i calves market in that year
erations, Hawai‘i Island also has a number of informal beef pro
cessing options that are not approved for commercial beef sales.
Tere are several small private slaughter and chilling operations
around the Island that are used by small ranchers for processing
cattle for home use. Tese operations are not federally certifed
but do provide an important service to small cattle producers
and enable a signifcant amount of meat from cattle, pigs, and
sheep to be locally produced and consumed outside of the for
mal commercial context. An estimated volume of informally
harvested beef is depicted in Food Self-sufciency Score Card
above.
came from Hawai‘i Island. In 2009, 6,485 head Hawai‘i Island’s Trends in the Cattle Industry were slaughtered at federally inspected faciliHawai‘i’s cattle industry is principally an ties on Hawai‘i Island15. current annual export industry that ships its calves to the Te average American consumer demand for beef demand is mainland for fnishing and sale. Te shif beef is estimated at 60.8 lbs. per person annufrom local sales to mainland exports began ally16. Based on Hawai‘i Island’s de facto popu28,373 head in the late 1980’s and is a result of shifing lation of 210,000 and an average retail beef
equivalent of 450 lbs. per head, Hawai‘i Island’s
current annual beef demand is 28,373 head17. In 2009, Hawai‘i
Island ranchers sold or slaughtered 49,985 head18, or nearly
twice the number of cattle than the Island needs to meet annual
beef demand. Counting just the number of head that were com
mercially slaughtered on the island (6,485 head), Hawai‘i Island
ranchers and processors actually produced 23% of the meat
needed to meet local consumption. Since an estimated 40%
of the production from Hawai‘i Beef Producers19 was shipped
to Honolulu in the form of bulk hamburger and cuts of grass
fed beef, the total of amount of local beef eaten on Hawai‘i
Market calves at the University’s beef cattle research station in Waimea (photo courtesy of G.F. Fukumoto)
Island is roughly 17% of the Island total beef consumption.
In addition to the commercial cattle ranches and slaughter op
14 NASS. 2011. Statistics of Hawaiian Agriculture 2009. Hawai‘i Dept. of
Agriculture and USDA NASS
15 Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, Animal Industry Division, 2012.
16 USDA ERS Data 2009 from Glen Fukumoto, CTAHR
17 60.8 lbs X 210,000 de facto population/450 lbs/head = 28,373 head total
beef demand
18 43,500 marketed plus 6,485 locally slaughtered
19 Personal communication, Jill Mattos, Hawaii Beef Producers
economics, transportation costs and the
high price of grain. Te expense of shipping
young cattle to the mainland is less than what it takes to bring
the grain to Hawai‘i for local fnishing. In 2012, cattle prices
are higher than it has been in many years, so there is strong
market pressure to sell cattle at a young age while the market
demand is high.
Processing meat at a federally certifed slaughterhouse is
required for all meat sold commercially. Hawai‘i Beef Produc
ers in Pa‘auilo and Kūlana Foods in Waiākea are the only two
remaining certifed slaughterhouses on Hawai‘i Island. Both
of these operations face signifcant constraints in their ability
to expand operations, including their capacity to treat waste
water and to process ofal from the slaughter. Te Pa‘auilo
plant is currently preparing to move forward with installation
of a rendering plant and other improvements that will help to
expand their capacity, but there are other hurdles as well.
Te Hawai‘i cattle industry, as a whole, is looking to expand
the amount of local grass fed beef that is raised locally and
available in the Hawai‘i market place. Te grass fed initiative
is being pursued on a small scale today by several ranches
and retailers, most notably Kuahiwi Ranch in Ka‘ū and KTA’s
Mountain Apple Brand. Te challenge to producers of grass
fed beef is to consistently provide high quality 1,000 plus
pound animal to local slaughter operations from pastures that
have a regular supply of grass to fnish animals on a year-
round basis. Te availability of quality pastures is dependent
on rainfall and on the investment by ranchers to improve
pasture quality, productivity, and forage management systems.
Tere are approximately 640,000 acres in pasture on the Is
land, much of it in low rainfall areas, below 30 inches annually.
Pasture lands with higher rainfall are important for stabilizing
a local grass fed beef industry. Tere is discussion of using
surplus water in the Hāmākua Ditch to irrigate pastures in the
Honoka‘a to Pa‘auilo area, makai of the ditch. Tis will require
investment in irrigation systems and some accommodation by
the State to further subsidize water prices from the Hāmākua
ditch specifcally for pasture irrigation purposes. Lands makai
of the Hāmākua ditch represent some of the best quality
former cane lands to be converted to pasture and could play
a important role in the development of a larger grass fed beef
supply for local consumption.
Te Hawaii Cattle Producers Cooperative has also been exper
imenting with the market for local veal using 600-800 pound
animals that would otherwise be exported to the mainland.
Developing a viable local market for veal would help to keep
more local beef on-island.
Tere is opportunity within the local beef industry to in
crease the amount of protein that can be both produced and
consumed on Hawai‘i Island. Tis is one of the areas where
Hawai‘i County can expect some positive traction in increas
ing food self-sufciency. Tere are many moving parts to this
puzzle, but key portions of the industry, including ranchers,
landowners, processors, agencies, and consumers are begin
ning to make new progress towards increasing local beef pro
duction in a manner that makes economic sense to both the
producers and the consumer. It is not likely that Hawai‘i will
stop its practice of exporting calves to the mainland within
the foreseeable future, but there are signs that major produc
ers are looking closely at the benefts of increased local beef
production. Consumers play an essential part in this equa
tion. Te growth of a grass fed beef industry is dependent on
consumers’ sustained support by purchasing local meat on a
regular basis. An enthusiastic local market for grass fed beef
will provide the opportunity for ranchers to keep more of their
animals at home for local consumption.
2.5.4 Pigs, Sheep and Goats
Pig Production
Te number of commercial piggeries statewide has fallen of
dramatically in the last 20 years, due to the cost of feed and the
regulations associated with managing confned animals. Tere
are currently 65 piggeries on Hawai‘i Island with two to 30 sows
a piece20. Many of these animals are sold at weaning to small
back yard operations. Most of the hog production in the state
takes place on O‘ahu closer to the center of market demand.
O‘ahu, and more specifcally Waikiki, is also where most of the
waste food supply is created which accounts for a major portion
of the feed needed to bring pigs to market. Hawai‘i County ac
counted for just 5% of the total state hog production in 200821.
Te vast majority of the pork eaten in Hawai‘i comes from
the mainland, much of it in frozen form. Live pigs are also
imported via ship from the west coast and most are harvested
20 Mike Dupont, CTAHR personal communications
21 State Agricultural Statistics, 2008, pp77
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 25
at the slaughterhouse on O‘ahu. Kūlana Foods in Waiākea does
slaughter pigs as a service to small producers. Most of that
meat is for private use and rarely appears in retails stores as
fresh meat.
New innovations in piggery management ofer some hope that
Hawai‘i could become a larger supplier of its own pork supply.
A piggery in Mountain View, partially funded by the County
of Hawai‘i’s Department of Research and Development, em
ploys the approach of Master Cho, a Korean agriculturalist, to
piggery design and operation with encouraging results. Waste
material is dealt with by the design of the facility through the
introduction of indigenous micro-organisms (IMO) to break
down waste naturally. CTAHR promotes several piggery
designs to address the cost efcient disposal and re-use of
pig waste and wash down fuids. New investment is needed
to grow Hawai‘i’s pig industry both on Hawai‘i Island and
elsewhere. Slaughter capacity is also an issue and will require
improvements and expansion of kill foors and chill space to
support additional capacity. Expanding the feed supply from
agricultural waste products like sweet potato, macadamia and
papaya and the expanded use of table waste would help to sup
port this efort.
Sheep Production
Sheep are produced by several commercial ranches around
the Island. Tere are also a number of small producers who
grow sheep for meat and for wool production. Kahua Ranch
in North Kohala is the largest sheep producer. Tey have
their sheep slaughtered locally, sell direct from the ranch
and provide fresh lamb to island restaurants. Smaller sheep
producers report difculty getting their animals to harvest at
a price they can aford.
Tere has been discus
sion by some of the
small producers about
seeking funds to support
a federally certifed mo
bile slaughterhouse that
could travel to ranches.
No such facility is cur
rently available. Another
alternative would be to
fund improvements to
existing slaughterhouses to accommodate a larger volume of
sheep. Herd sizes are likely to remain small until this bottle
neck is addressed.
Sheep have the advantage of a shorter cycle from concep
tion to harvest than cattle. For some ranchers this may allow
them to recover the investment they hold in each animal more
quickly. To be successful, harvest infrastructure issues need to
be addressed and there needs to be a rise in consumer demand
for local meat products to support ranch diversifcation.
Sheep are raised for meat and
wool production
26 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Goat Production
Goats are grown on several ranches on Hawai‘i Island and
are used both as a source of income and to assist in clearing
invasive shrubs from pasture lands. Managed correctly, goats
can be a signifcant asset to ranchers for the improvement of
pastures overgrown with guava and other shrubs. Goat meat is
also popular with some ethnic groups but it is not currently a
commercially available product on Hawai‘i Island. Nevertheless,
there is a market for direct sales that can be expanded.
Feral Pig, Sheep and Goats
Recreational and subsistence hunters kill nearly 10,000 feral
pigs, sheep and goats annually on Hawai‘i Island. Most of this
harvest is unrecorded. A more expanded discussion of this local
food supply can be found in Section 6 of this report. Te meat
contribution of pig, sheep and goat hunting is represented in
Figure 4 as an estimate of the amount of meat that is gathered
informally by local hunters that is in excess of 400,000 pounds
per year or the meat equivalent of over 900 head of cattle annu
ally.
2.5.5 Fish and Seafood
In March 2012, the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human
Resources released a report on seafood consumption and supply
in Hawaii22. Using the best available data on commercial, rec
reational and aqua cultural seafood sources, the authors suggest
the following:
• Total seafood consumption in the state of Hawai‘i is 50.4
million edible pounds annually
• Seafood is 11.4% of the per capita Hawaii food budget
(compared to 6% nationally)
• 32% of the seafood budget is spent at
home, 68% is spend eating out
• Te average Hawaii resident consumed
37 pounds of seafood per person annu
ally, 8 pounds (or 39%) of which comes
from non-commercial (aka recreation
al) sources
• 63% of all commercial seafood sales is imported, 57%
from foreign countries
• Including both commercial and non-commercial catch,
51% of state’s seafood consumption is sourced locally
• 7.4% of Hawai‘i commercial catch is exported (6.2% to
US, 1.2% foreign)
• Tuna (yellowfn, bigeye and others) is the most frequently
consumed seafood in Hawaii (12.76 pounds per capita per
year); Salmon is the second at 4.23 pounds.
Tese fgures represent the best and most current information
22 An Overview of Seafood Consumption and Supply Sources: Hawai‘i Verses
U.S., Matthew Loke et al, Economic Issues EI-22, March 2012
available on seafood supply and consumption in the State of
Hawai‘i. Tey are based on available data, and subject to ongo
ing critique and improvement. How accurately they refect the
particular circumstances on Hawaii Island could be debated.
For example, how much of the commercial catch is actually re
ported and how accurate the estimates are for non-commercial
and recreational harvest could be the basis for ongoing debate.
Additionally, fgures on the amount of seafood eaten at home or
purchased outside the home are collected from a Honolulu con
sumer study and may not necessarily apply to neighbor island
circumstances. For the purpose of this report, the scorecard in
Figure 4. Hawai‘i Island Food Self-sufciency Scorecard uses the
51% fgure and adds an uncertain volume of locally caught fsh
to represent the unknown volume of local seafood collection
that happens on the island which is not refected in the CTAHR
study.
At a statewide level, aqua culture produces 623,000 pounds of
seafood annually or just 3% of the state’s total commercial sea
food production23. Te rest of the commercial catch comes for
the shorelines and oceans surrounding the state which are part
of a commonly held resource that will require active manage
ment to ensure its long term sustainability. Further discussion
of ocean resource management is in Section 5 of this report.
2.5.6 Eggs and Poultry
Eggs and poultry account of 13.5 million pounds of Hawai‘i
Island food consumption24. Currently there is no commercial
egg or poultry production on the Island. Te last commercial
egg producer, located on the Kawaihae road, shut its doors in
the mid 2000’s. Feed costs, waste disposal and competition
from mainland imports have rendered the local poultry busi
ness uneconomical on Hawai‘i Island. Tere
are several small commercial operations on
O‘ahu, most notably Ka Lei Eggs, but com
petition in the marketplace is stif. Te last
chicken slaughter facility on Nimitz highway
in Honolulu has been shut down for several
years.
Tere are a small number of informal chicken
and egg producers on Hawai‘i Island who sell eggs at farmers
markets and directly to their neighbors. Tere are also sev
eral individuals who raise chickens on pre-paid contracts with
neighbors to deliver fresh poultry. Tis represents a very small
fraction of total egg and poultry demand on the Island which
operates outside of regulations associated with the commercial
marketplace.
Tere is a small scale production trend developing with innova
tive natural farming techniques. Tis approach uses small focks
in simple enclosures with special bedding under the coups. Bed
ding is treated with microorganisms, to dispose of waste without
23 Personal communication, Matthew Loke, CTAHR/DOA
24 See Table 2
Tuna is the
most frequently
consumed seafood
in Hawai‘i
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 27
odors or fies. Tese types of chicken operations are small but
could be expanded in a decentralized format to provide a new
source of fresh eggs and poultry for the informal market place.
Te cost of grain to feed chickens remains the largest barrier to
increasing production in a commercial context.
2.5.7 Nuts
Hawai‘i Island produces nearly nine million
pounds of macadamia nut kernels annually25.
Tis amount is roughly fve times the annual
total nut consumption of Hawai‘i Island’s de
facto population (Table 1). Currently, 75% of
Hawai‘i’s crop is exported and 25% is pack
aged for retail sales to local residents and
visitors26. Te bulk of local sales are to visitors
who take the nuts home with them as gifs. Te
actual numbers for locally consumed macadamia nuts
is not available.
Te pattern of nut consumption in Hawai‘i is probably not that
dissimilar to national trends, where peanuts, almonds, pista
chios, pecans and walnuts account for 88% of all nut consump
tion27. USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates that the
average American consumes less than 0.2 pounds of macada
mia annually28. Tat number is certainly higher in Hawai‘i, but
the relative role of macadamia nuts in Hawai‘i Island’s current
nut consumption patterns are still relatively small, perhaps in
the range of four to fve percent of total nut consumption.
Te presence of 21,000 acres of macadamia nuts on Hawai‘i
Island is a partial assurance that local nutritional demand for
nuts can be met entirely by local supply. If food supplies to the
Island were disrupted for an extended duration, the existing
nut orchards would be a nutritional resource that could be
drawn upon. Currently, however, the realities of the market
place, the cost of collection and processing, and consumer
preference for other types of nuts delegates the macadamia nut
to a relatively small player in the current Island food supply.
2.5.8 Vegetables
Te Vegetable Food Group is made up of several categories of
produce with difering nutritional characteristics, including
Dark Green Vegetables, Beans and Peas, Starchy Vegetables,
Red and Orange Vegetables and a general class called Other
Vegetables29. Because of a lack of detailed data on individual
crops, for the purpose of this discussion, these crops are
clustered into two categories: general Vegetables and Starch
vegetables. Taken as a general food group, vegetables account
25 Interview with David Rietow, President Hawai‘i Macadamia Nut Growers
Association
26 Personal communications, Richard Snitzler and Mark Crawford
27 USDA-ERS data summarized by the Peanut Institute 2009
28 http://www.ers.usda.gov/amberwaves/june08/fndings/almonds.htm
29 USDA Choice MyPlate.gov (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/
vegetables.html)
for over 90 million pounds of local food consumption on
Hawai‘i Island (Table 1).
Vegetables are the primary product in the farm category called
“truck crops”. Tere are 3,600 acres in truck crops on Hawai‘i
Island in 2012, located primarily in Waimea and in South Hilo.
Vegetable production appears on small farms island wide,
both in green house and open feld settings.
State Agricultural Statistics in 2008 suggested that
Hawai‘i, as a state, produced roughly 34% of the fresh
vegetables consumed30. Tese statistics summarize the
volume of 34 diferent varieties of Hawai‘i produced and
imported vegetables. Te percentage of Hawai‘i production
for each type of vegetable ranged from Chinese cabbage (87
% local production) and head cabbage (80% local produc
tion) to celery (7% local production) and lettuce (11% local
production)31. Refer to Appendix B for more details. 2008 was
the last year of DOA data collection. Since then, there has
been some progress in import replacement for some targeted
crops but there is no clear information to determine just how
much diference that has made to the overall percentage of lo
cal production. As a result, the 34% fgure is used as basis for
this analysis.
Diferent types of vegetables are grown in diferent regions of
Hawai‘i Island with varying degrees of commercial success.
For example, farmers in Waimea and Pu‘ukapu, South Kohala
produce a mix of leafy and root vegetables on roughly 445
acres of fat, irrigated land. Although total production num
bers are not available for the Waimea farmers for 2010, there
were approximately fve million pounds of produce processed
at the vacuum cooling plant/refrigeration facility that is oper
ated cooperatively amongst local Waimea farmers32. Tis is a
portion of the total production in the area, as there are also
private cooling facilities and some products, such as head cab
bage, which go from feld to market without cooling. Farmers
who were interviewed estimated that about 50% of Waimea’s
total production was shipped to Honolulu and the rest stayed
on the Island.
Other commercial vegetable growing areas, like South Hilo,
produce tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and a range of other
vegetables that are sold locally and shipped to O‘ahu markets.
Several of the farms in Ka‘ū grow almost exclusively for direct
local sale to regular buyers in addition to farmers markets.
Puna has a growing number of small farms and green houses
producing organic, or near organic vegetables that now com
pete with each other in the local market place.
An increasing number of small to medium sized producers are
opting to farm organically, both for the market price advantage
and to fulfll other goals they have for the quality of the food
they provide to the marketplace.
30 Hawai‘i State Agricultural Statistics, 2008
31 Hawai‘i State Agricultural Statistics, 2008
32 Data provided by vacuum cooling plant accountants
28 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Expanding Vegetable Production
Distributors, retailers, restaurateurs and consumers all indicate
that they are looking for new sources of competitively priced
local vegetables. From the standard lettuce and cabbage to
boutique heritage tomatoes and artichokes, the market for lo
cal produce appears strong but it is not always easy for smaller
farmers to access this supply network. Distributors and
retailers need consistency in both supply and quality which is
difcult for small independent operations. Food Safety Certif
cation is increasing being required by large retailers and insti
tutional buyers. Tis requires farmers to invest new money in
packing, sanitation and crop tracking capabilities; additional
investments are thus demanded which may be beyond the
means of smaller farms.
Tere are several collaborative programs on the Island that
model ways to expand the role of small farm producers in the
larger vegetable market place. Adaptations is a distributor of
organic produce that operates out of Honaunau. Tey consoli
date produce from as many as 100 small producers and distrib
ute it to stores and other outlets around the Island. Adaptations
work with producers to direct production towards marketable
items and provide a delivery service that many small producers
cannot aford to do themselves. Hāmākua Springs, in Pepe‘ekeo,
also serves as a consolidator of
vegetables from smaller farms and
uses its existing statewide market
penetration to move produce into
larger market places. Hāmākua
Producers is their secondary label
used for distributing non-food
certifed produce alongside their
certifed tomatoes and cucum
bers. Larger food distributors,
like Armstrong Produce, Cal-
Kona and Hilo Produce also play
important in consolidating local
production and channeling it to
major markets.
Farmer Cooperatives are not a major factor in vegetable produc
tion in Hawai‘i and this may be a direction that some farmer
networks could develop further. Tis applies to both marketing
and the purchasing of bulk supplies and the sharing of equip
ment. Kamehameha Schools has begun to assert its interest
in supporting farmers on their property through more farmer
friendly land leasing and exploring farm-to-plate initiatives with
their school operations statewide. Tey are also exploring the
potential of constructing a facility to consolidate packing and
processing that could meet food safety requirements for small
farmers in the South Hilo area.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an approach to pro
duction for members who are regularly delivered fresh produce
based on current availability of local produce. CSA’s are signif-
Sweet Potato production on the South Hilo coast is largely an export product to West Coast markets.
cant food providers on the mainland where this market is con
centrated in urban areas. Tere are four to fve CSA’s on Hawai‘i
Island with relatively small memberships. Tis is an approach
that can work in certain circumstances.
Vegetables are one of the food groups that residents have the
ability to grow for themselves in their back yards. Tere are
parts of the Island where home-based gardening is a signifcant
contributor to family and neighborhood diets. Te Hawai‘i
Home Grown Food Network (www.Hawaiihomegrown.net)
serves an expanding community of small gardeners and food
producers Islandwide. Tis efort, and others like it, are creating
a broader network for small scale food producers and are also
supporting collective eforts to advocate for local foods and to
spread the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for family
and community food self-sufciency.
One of the most profound trends in new vegetable production
is taking place on school campuses across the Island. Over 60
public, private and charter schools in 2011 had teaching gardens
on their campuses with over 5,000 students participating in
garden programs33. Hands-on student exposure to farming and
the joy of eating what they have grown has an immeasurable
impact on the future of these students as both consumers and
potential farmers.
2.5.9 Starch
Local sources of starch come
from several vegetable sources
including sweet potato, taro,
green peas, feld peas, lima beans,
breadfruit, corn, green banana
and cassava34. Sweet potato, taro
and corn are the crops that most
frequently appear in the local
market place. Pumpkins are
another local source of starches.
Cassava is a basic starch for
many Pacifc Island cultures, but
it is not grown commercially in
Hawai‘i due to the lack of a signifcant market. Cooking bananas
also provide starches, but this is not a widely used source in
most Island diets. Te predominant source of starches in the
local diet comes from russet potatoes which are not produced
locally.
In 2008, DOA agricultural statistics indicate that Hawaii
imported 22.29 million pounds of potatoes and produced
none. In that same year Hawaii produced 8.1 million pounds of
sweet potato and imported and additional 1.6 million pounds
(83% locally produced). Taro accounted for 232,000 pounds
of import compared to 100,000 pounds produced locally (30%
33 Kohala Center Report to PREL, Characteristics of School Gardens of
Hawai‘i Island
34 Choose MyPlate, USDA, http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/veg
etables.html
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 29
locally produced). 79% of the sweet corn in the state was locally
produced with a total consumption of 2.8 million pounds.
Sweet potatoes are grown on many farms around Hawai‘i
Island. Several varieties of sweet potato are marketed in farmers
markets and grocery stores with the purple Okinawan variety
being, by far, the most prominent. Te biggest production of
sweet potato is in South Hilo where as many as 500-600 acres
of the purple Okinawa sweet potato are planted annually.
Actually production has varied based on market conditions
but sweet potato growers have been a big part of the farm
landscape in the region for the last decade. Sweet potatoes
are treated at the local irradiator facility in Kea‘au and then
shipped to markets on the West Coast. In 2010, the irradiator
processed 11.8 million pounds of sweet potato, virtually all of
which was sent on to the West Coast35. An additional 1.8 mil
lion pounds was marketed locally36.
Tere are about 50 acres of wetland taro in Valley and approxi
mately another 100 acres of dry land taro in production on the
Island at any time. Te bulk of the wet land taro is made into
poi and much of it is sold directly by the farmers to individual
consumers or to local retail outlets. A substantial portion of
Hawai‘i Island’s poi consumption comes from sources on other
Islands, particularly Kaua‘i.
Tere is one small farmer in the volcano area that has be
gun to produce a small volume of red, thin skinned
potatoes that appear in farmer markets and
several retail outlets.
Without a strong set of reliable data, it
would be reasonable to estimate that
Hawai‘i Island produces between 5-10%
of its total starchy vegetable demand.
Tis does not include the volume of sweet
potatoes exported to mainland markets.
Hawai‘i has the capacity to produce a substantially
higher percentage of starchy vegetables than is consumed
locally. Strong export markets and limited local demand
draws local sweet potato production elsewhere. One way to
increase the current level of self-sufciency in starch is to
build demand for local starchy vegetables like sweet potato,
taro and breadfruit. Tere is a signifcant market for taro yet
only a limited number of farmers are growing it. Breadfruit is
a highly underutilized source of local starch for which there is
little market and no signifcant commercial production. Eforts
to grow these crops for local production need to be accompa
nied with an educational efort to provide consumers with new
recipes and preparation instructions to help shif consumption
patterns.
35 Personal communications, Eric Weinert, Hawai‘i Pride
36 Personal communication, Stephen Wheat, Alembic International Ltd.,
distributor
2.5.10 Fruit
Hawai‘i produces a range of tropical fruits for local consump
tion and export. Papaya, rambutan, longan, guava, banana and
avocado are grown in the largest volume. Tere is also a range
of citrus and other specialty fruit crops that add to the local
fruit supply. Based on a summary DOA and NASS statistics
from 2007 and 2008, Hawai‘i Island produces somewhere in the
vicinity of 50 million pounds of fruit37; the largest contributors
being papaya, banana, avocado and a suite of tropical specialty
crops. (Data for all fruit crops is not broken out by County.)
Based on the projected de facto population demand for fruit
in Table 1, the Hawai‘i Island demand for fruit is roughly 58.7
million pounds. If, for some reason, food supplies were inter
rupted, Hawai‘i Island would have a signifcant supply of locally
produced fruits that approximates local demand.
Fruit supplies are seasonal and are abundant at times and non
existent at others. Figure 5 provides a simple look at some of
the fruits and vegetables produced in Hawaii and the seasons in
which they are most likely to be available.
Hawai‘i Agricultural Statistics for 2008 suggest that of the 18
fruit groups they kept statistics on, Hawai‘i, as a state, produces
32% of its total fruit consumption. For lack of better numbers,
this is a reasonable place to start in measuring Hawai‘i Island’s
current fruit self-sufciency. Given that many Hawai‘i Island
residents live in places where fruit is grown wild or in back
yards, it can be estimated that the percentage of local
fruit consumption is higher than the 32% State statistic.
Just how much so is very difcult to determine. For
the purpose of the scorecard in Figure 4 we use the
statewide number and added an indicator of additional
informal supply to refect production in backyards and
neighborhoods around the Island.
Issues like consumer preference, seasonality, cost and short shelf
life are what keep Hawai‘i from being more self-sufcient in
the fruit food group. Hawai‘i does not grow temperate fruit like
apples, grapes and pears and we are unlikely to do so at any scale
in the future. Consumer demand drives the import of these and
other fruits which consumers expect to be in the fruit section
of the grocery store every time they shop. Hawai‘i also imports
some tropical fruits, like mango, to meet local demand and to
balance seasonal availability.
Roughly half of the state’s bananas are imported from the global
supply network at prices that are competitive with local growers.
Te same is true with avocados, which Hawai‘i Island grows
particularly well in the Kona area. Hawai‘i’s lemons and limes
amount to less than 5% of current consumption and the same
is true for tangerines38. Expanding production in these types
of import replacement crops presents market opportunities for
Island growers.
37 Tropical Specialty Fruit 1.09 M pounds; Avocado 1.0 M pounds; Banana
17.4 M pounds; Papaya 30.5 M pounds
38 See Table 1 in this study
30 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Buy Fresh Buy Local
1
It’s as easy as counting to three
Enjoy exceptional 2 Strengthen your local economy 3 Help preserve open space.
taste and freshness. and community. By supporting local farmers, buying local
Premium taste. Maximum freshness. Produce Buying local food keeps your dollars food helps preserve green, open space in
picked and eaten closer to its height of circulating in your community. Building your community.
ripeness has exceptional flavor and, when relationships with the farmers who grow your
handled properly, is packed with nutrients. food strengthens your ties to the
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
Avocado Banana
Longan Orange
Papaya Pineapple
Eggplant Cabbage, Asian
Ginger Root Lettuce, Baby Greens
Mushroom Onion, Round
T a r o Tomato
Check out these other Island Fresh products!
Eggs Milk PorkBeef
community and the land.
Hawaii Seasonality Chart*
Atemoya
Avocado
Lychee Banana
Cantaloupe
Honeydew
Longan
Lychee
Mango
Orange
Mango Papaya
Persimmon
Pineapple
Rambutan
Strawberry
Starfruit
Watermelon Tangerine
Watermelon
Lime
Bean
Bittermelon
Burdock (Gobo)
Cabbage, Chinese Corn
Cabbage, Head
Cabbage, Asian
Celery
Corn, Sweet
Cucumber
Daikon
Lettuce, Romaine Eggplant
Ginger Root
Heart of Palm
Herbs
Lettuce, Baby Greens
Lettuce, Romaine
Lettuce, Leaf Potato, Sweet Luau (Taro) Leaf
Mushroom
Onion, Round
Onion, Green
Parsley, American
Pepper, Green
Zucchini Potato, Sweet
Pumpkin (Kabocha)
Sprouts
Squash, Oriental
Taro
Tomato
Zucchini
* Seasonality based on production in Hawaii. Availability could vary from year-to-year depending on weather conditions.
Indicates PEAK availabilityHawaii Agriculture and Food Products Directory www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/ search by source, food type or island Indicates MODERATE availability
Figure 5. Hawai‘i Seasonality Chart
2.5.11 Grains
Grains constitute approximately 10% of the total food de
mand, as displayed in Table 2. 100% of the roughly 42 million
pounds of grain residents consume annually on Hawai‘i Island
is imported39. Hawai‘i’s climate and growing conditions does
not support the commercial cultivation of most kinds of grain,
including wheat, rice and oatmeal.
Grains come in whole and processed form and include rice,
fours, pasta, bread, crackers, cereals etc. Rice is one of the
most popular grains in the Hawai‘i food palette, and although
Hawai‘i has grown rice in the past, it is unlikely any com
mercial rice operation will compete successfully with rice
imported from other places. Most grain production requires
vast acreage and an economy of scale that far exceeds Hawai‘i’s
ability to match with the global market place. Grain is an area
of food dependency that will be difcult to remedy, beyond
adjusting the amount of that is locally consumed.
Hawai‘i also imports millions of tons of grain for the purpose
of feeding livestock and pets. Te high cost of these imported
feed grains has driven cattlemen to ship their cattle to the
mainland for fattening and slaughter. It has also resulted in a
near-collapse of the local poultry industry and a substantial
reduction in the number of dairies within the state. Horse
owners experience the impacts of rising feed costs as do sheep,
goat, and exotic bird owners. Te same is true of dog and cat
owners whose feed contains grain as an important ingredient.
Animal feeds are another area where Hawai‘i is signifcantly
dependant on imports and global market pricing.
Tere are several current local initiatives to miti
gate
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 31
the impact of this dependence on imported grain for animal
feed. Te aquaculture industry is exploring ways to process ag
ricultural waste for fsh feed. Both dairies on Hawai‘i Island are
using surrounding lands to grow corn, sorghum, or cut grass
to supplement grain imports. Tere have also been federally-
sponsored programs to reimburse ranchers for a portion of the
cost of shipping feed to the state. Tese are small, but impor
tant eforts to move the State in the direction of food self-suf
ciency. However, more work needs to be done to identify ways
to produce the kinds of feed Hawai‘i needs to support its own
livestock production.
Hawai‘i plays an increasingly important role in the production
of grains, particularly corn, worldwide. For decades, Hawai‘i’s
year-round growing conditions have attracted major seed
companies to invest their research and development dollars
in the use of some of Hawai‘i’s most productive lands. Major
seed companies, like Monsanto, Dow Agroscience, Synge
nta and Pioneer, now lease or own some of Hawai‘i’s most
productive agricultural land on Maui, Molokai, Kaua‘i and
the central plain of O‘ahu . Hawai‘i’s ability to support three to
four crop rotations per year makes the state an ideal location
to test crop varieties and conduct research in biogenetics.
96% of the Hawai‘i based research is in corn with soybean,
sunfower and other crops contributing the rest. Te industry
claims that just about any new corn hybrid in the Unites States
would have spent some time in Hawai‘i during the research
and development phase40. Tis type of agricultural activity is
of concern for people alarmed by the growing global trend in
genetically modifed organisms (GMO) and their uncertain
impacts on the food system as a whole. None of this research
currently takes place on Hawai‘i Island, but its products do
return to Hawai‘i in the form of new species of corn-based
feed and other grains.
39 See Table 1 in this study 40 Pacifc Business News, November 4, 2007, Charlotte Woolard
32 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
3 Summary of Hawai‘i Island Agriculture
3.1 Agriculture Land Use
A large component of this study involved the comprehensive
mapping of where crops are currently grown on Hawai‘i Is
land. Te purpose was to help defne the areas, circumstances
and resources that drive the agricultural production that is
taking place in 2012. An important step towards increasing
food self-sufciency is to understand what areas are currently
farmed and to discern what contributes to making that pro
duction viable. Regional distinctions are critical because what
drives farming in Kona, is not necessarily what propels it in
South Hilo or in Ka‘ū. Each agricultural region has its distinct
historical farming patterns, natural resources, infrastructure
and people that impel farm activity in each area. Strategies to
enhance food production need to be cognizant of what occurs
today and why, so that efective actions are taken to increase
local food production in the future.
Mapping the state of current agriculture on Hawai‘i Island
used the Geographic Information System (GIS) resources at
the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo’s Spatial Data Analysis Labs,
in conjunction with the Geography and Environmental Stud
ies Department. Te workfow process involved painstakingly
digitizing crop outlines based on the most current commercial
satellite imagery available. Additional data layers provided by
the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the
Hawai‘i County Real Property Tax Ofce contributed to iden
tifcation of areas of crop production. Satellite imagery from
DigitalGlobe (QuickBird 2, 2006 and WorldView2, 2009) was
provided through USDA-NRCS/USGS. Cross-checking was
supplemented by reviewing pictometry data from Bing maps
as well as referencing imagery from Google Earth. Remote
sensing analysis with ENVI sofware aided in diferentiating
crop types and highlighting those areas with crop produc
tion. Most of the croplands mapped were greater than three
acres; the exceptions included intensively farmed areas such
as Waipi‘o Valley. Te result is a 2012 crop layer for the entire
Island of Hawai‘i. Other derived mapping products include
an update of the State’s ditch layer that was modifed to refect
currently viable irrigation and ditch systems. Te digital data
created in this process has been submitted to the County of
Hawai‘i Research and Development group.
Additional verifcation of the digitized croplands data involved
plotting regional crop outlines on large paper maps with a
satellite image backdrop and working directly with people
familiar with farming activities in each region of the Island to
cross-check the crop category identifed on the map. Tis was
an iterative process that took the better part of fve months
to complete. Specifc crop types were not identifed. Crops
were classifed using the categories outlined in Appendix C.
As the most recent satellite imagery was from late 2009, the
digitized crop outlines primarily capture information from
this time period. Although every efort was made to ground-
truth or cross-check the digitized crop category with known
information, not all crop lands could be readily identifed
or site visited. Uncertainty in the digitizing process and lack
of current satellite imagery as a reference for outlining crop
categories means that the fnal numbers in Table 3 represent
the best possible estimate. As well, it is important to note
that the values are dynamic as crops move to other felds and
agriculture practices change over time. Te current iteration
of the digitized crop categories serves as a benchmark and will
require constant updating.
Hawai‘i Island contains roughly 2,580,000 acres, of which
1,185,000 acres are designated as Agricultural by the State
Land Use system. Of those Agricultural acres just 4% is in
active crop production, 2% is in commercial forestry and 40%
is in pasture use. Te remaining 54% of State designated Agri
cultural land is un-used. Figure 6 displays the broadest look at
this data.
3.2 Crop Data
Crop data was classifed into 11 categories and do not include
commercial forestry or pasture. A breakdown of the types of
crops in each mapped category is provided in Table 4 below.
Figure 7 summarizes the acres in each crop type, provides an
Island-wide look at the location of active crop lands in 2012
as well as annual rainfall and location of the four major irriga
tion ditch systems that serve lands in North Kohala, Waimea,
Hāmākua and Pahala.
Numbers contained in Figure 7 and in Table 3 above were
determined by using real property tax data, NRCS crop layer
information, and visual inspection of satellite imagery. Bing
Map’s oblique pictography, where coverage was available, was
used to confrm a crop type or determine crop boundaries. Sat
ellite imagery coverage varied from region to region, with some
as new as late 2009 and others dating back to 2006. Interviews
of individuals and small groups familiar with agricultural land
use in each region were used to supplement the data collection
process and to update observations on recent changes.
Tere are over 42,700 acres in crop production on the island,
half of which (21,000 acres) are in macadamia nuts, over 6,000
acres are in cofee and another 1,700 acres are planted in fowers
and foliage crops. Tese crops are important to the agricultural
economy of Hawai‘i though they play very minor roles in the is
land’s food supply. Vegetable crops, taro, tropical fruits, banana,
papaya, aquaculture and specialty food crops account for 10,400
acres of active agricultural land use. Local consumption of these
locally produced crops varies as a signifcant portion of each
crop type is exported to other parts of Hawai‘i and continental
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬¬
¬
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 33
Hilo
Volcano
Kalaoa
Waimea
Kailua
Honalo
Mountain View
Honaunau
Hawaiian Ocean View
Holualoa
Waikoloa Village
Captain Cook
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Kealakekua
Kurtistown
Keaau
Pahoa
Leilani Estates
Ainaloa
Naalehu
Hawi
Discovery Harbour
Laupahoehoe
Papaikou
Wainaku
Honokaa
Paauilo
Pahala
Pepeekeo
Honomu
Waipi'o
«200
«19
«11
«190
«250
«137
«270
«130
«132
«180
«160
«220
«27
«130
«19«190
«19
35 ''
50 ''
65 ''
80 ''
25 '
'
10
0
'
'
1
6
0
'
'
15 ''
18
0
'
'
12
0
'
'
2
0
0
'
'
22
0
'
'
24
0
'
'
14
0
'
'
10
'
'
26
0
'
'
280 ''
10
'
'
100 ''
6
5
'
'
10 ''
65 ''
1
4
0
'
'
10 ''
120
'
'
50
'
'
6
5
'
'
35
'
'
100 '
'
15 ''
80 ''
35
'
'
1
0
0
'
'
15 ''
3
5
'
'
1
4
0
'
'
5
0
'
'
80 '
'
16
0
'
'
80 ''
25
'
'
³
MAUNALOA OBSERVATORY M A U N A L O A
H AWA I 'I VO LC A N O ES NAT I ON AL PA R K
M A U N A K E A
MAUNA KEA OBSERVATORIES
HI L O INT L A I R P O RT
BRADSHAW AAF
UPOLU
KONA INTL AIRPORT
H I L O F O R E S T R E S E R V E
Pasture
54%
Other State Agriculture Lands
40%
Commercial Forestry
2%
Crops 4%
Crops
42,744
Commercial Forestry
20,716
Pasture 25 ''
0 10 20 Miles1:750,000 Crops
Commercial Forestry
Existing Irrigation System
Pasture
State Agriculture Lands
Rainfall Inch
638,456
Figure 6. Hawai‘i Island Agriculture Land Use Summary Figure 6.
Hawaii Island Agriculture Land Use Summary
34 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
U.S. and global markets. Hawai‘i Island also produces a range of 2,709 acre fgure for active production and the 6,800 fgure to
specialty products aimed at boutique markets which help to in-indicate the total papaya footprint in the Puna region. In many
sure farm viability but do not necessarily contribute signifcantly cases, these excess acres remain under lease to a packing opera-
to local food supplies. tion or papaya grower who anticipates replanting in the future.
Te numbers used in these summaries may Table 3. Summary of Crop With respect to the cofee industry, 6,128 planted
vary from more commonly used estimates of Acres on Hawai‘i Island 2012 acres is higher than the 4,000 acres fgure that is
acreage for individual crops. For example, a Crops Acres
Aquaculture 165
Banana 436
Cofee 6,128
Dairy 3,362
Flowers & Foliage 1,700
Macadamia Nuts 21,111
Papaya 2,709
Specialty Crops 292
Taro 51
Tropical Fruits 3,168
Truck Crops 3,597
Total 42,744
more frequently quoted. Te diference can be
papaya crop takes about 4 years from the time attributed to a closer examination of the small
it is planted to the time it is too tall to pick. In plantings, some of whom may not be currently
between plantings, the land is fallowed for 2-5 harvested for one reason or another. Tere is
years to address soil born bacteria that com-also an increased proportion of the cofee crop
promises subsequent plantings. Mapping the that has been inter-planted with macadamia
papaya crop has to accommodate that crop and other crops making it difcult to determine
mobility. Te industry estimates that there are acreage for each41.
generally about 2,000 acres in the felds at any It is also difcult to get a detailed footprint for point in time. Numbers from our study suggest truck crops on the Hilo coast. Tere are over that 2,709 appeared to be in production from 500 acres of sweet potato planted on the coast satellite coverage but this may include recently annually, but it is nomadic, moving every year abandoned felds or cleared areas that were not to avoid nematodes and other pests. Although yet planted when the imagery was taken. Tere the current acreages planted in this crop may be are also about 6,800 acres of land that appear to accurate their locations will move annually. be in papaya rotation and may be replanted at
some point in the future. Tis study will use the
Table 4. Crop Categories
Crop Class Crop Types
Flowers and Foliage Potted Plants, Ornamental, Dracena, Orchids, Antherium, Nursery plants, Cut Flowers, Land
scape plants, lei fowers
Tropical Fruits Lichee, Rambutan, Longon, Mangosteen,Mango,Dragon Fruit, Avocado, Oranges, other
Papaya Active production and fallow/cleared
Taro Wet and Dry Land
Banana
Macadamia Nuts
Cofee All varieties and locations
Speciality Crops Mushrooms, Vanila, Cacao, Tea, Noni, Awa, Heart of Palm
Aquaculture Fishponds, Talapia, NELHA
Truck Crops Commercially grown Vegetables, Melons, Squash, leaf and root crops etc.
Dairy Includes processing area, surrounding pasture and cultivated corn/grass feed
41 In the Kona Region crops were mapped using a category of mix cofee
and macadamia with over 2,266 acres in that category. For the purposes of
simplifying the crop list, this number was adjusted to add 60% of it to the
cofee count and 40% to the macadamia nut count, based on estimates of KS
land managers and others familiar with the practice of mixed crop plantings in
Kona.
51
Tr
T
Dairy
Coffee
16
0
'
'
1
4
0
'
'
1
0
0
'
'
80 '' 10 ''
120
'
'
100 ''
10
'
'
14
0
'
'
10
0
'
'
280 ''
15 ''
10
'
'
18
0
'
'
26
0
'
'
15 ''
50 ''
12
0
'
'
20
0
'
'
50
'
'
2
4
0
'
'
1
4
0
'
'
2
2
0
'
'
1
6
0
'
'
3
5
'
'
15 ''
5
0
'
'
6
5
'
'
25 '
'
10 ''
35 ''
6
5
'
'
65 ''
65 ''
35
'
'
80 '' 80 ''
100 '
'
25
'
'
80 ''
35
'
'
25 ''
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 35
UPOLU
Hawi ³
270¬«
Waipi'o
Honokaa
250¬« ¬27«
Paauilo Waimea «19¬
Laupahoehoe
Waikoloa Village
MAUNA KEA HonomuOBSERVATORIES¬19«
HILO FOREST
220¬«
Pepeekeo
KONA INTL 190¬«AIRPORT
MAUNA KEA R E S E R V E
Papaikou
200¬« BRADSHAW AAF WainakuKalaoa HILO INTL
19 AIRPORT190 ¬«¬«
Hilo
Kailua Holualoa
Keaau
180«¬ Honalo «Kurtistown ¬130MAUNALOA OBSERVATORY
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Captain Cook
MAUNA LOA Mountain View
Ainaloa
Volcano Pahoa 132¬«
Leilani Estates
137¬«
Kealakekua
Honaunau ¬«160 H AWA I ' I VOLCANOES
HAWAI 'I
VOLCANOES 130¬«NATIONAL PARK
¬11«
Food Crops
Banana PapayaSpecialty Crops 436 2,734292 Taro 51
Pahala Tropical FruitsopicalFr 3,1683,168
Truck Cropsruc
3,6073, Hawaiian Ocean View Macadamia Nuta Nut
Naalehu 21,1111
Dairy
Discovery Harbour 3,3623,362
1:750,000 Miles
Coffee
6,1286 1 286,128
Flowers & Foliage Aquaculture 1,700 165
Existing Irrigation System Food Crops Flowers & Foliage
Rainfall Inch Coffee Macadamia Nuts
Dairy Special Crops
0 10 20 State Agriculture Lands
Figure 7. Hawai‘i Island Crop SummaryFigure 7. Hawaii Island Crop Summary
36 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
3.3 Pasture Land
Pasture for meat production is the largest use of agricultural
land on Hawai‘i Island. Tere are two approaches to measur
ing pasture area in this report. Te frst uses a grasslands
data layer that was created by NRCS using remote sensing
techniques and satellite imagery to extract all grass covered
areas on the Island of Hawaii. Tis grasslands data was then
adjusted to remove areas that are not in active ranch use, such
as lands in the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Pohukuloa
Training Area as well as other lands withdrawn from ranching
for reforestation and other purposes. Tis approach indicated
that there were 638,466 acres in active grass lands as shown in
Figures 8 and 9.
A second approach at summarizing pasture lands utilized
County real property tax records to depict properties that
have an agricultural assessment rate that specifes pasture use.
Since tax savings associated with this program are substantial,
it is reasonable to assume that most pasture land managers
would have entered their lands in this program. Tax records
indicate that 533,127 acres were charged a reduced tax rate in
a pasture category under the current real property tax system.
Tis approach is displayed in Figure 16 and is included in a
future section on County Real Property Tax Programs. Map
ping by this method produces a distorted view of what lands
are in pasture since entire TMK’s are highlighted and not just
the portions which were agreed to by the tax ofce and the
landowner.
Both approaches have their limitations, although it is reason
able to assume that between 30 to 35% of the Islands’ agri
cultural land area is in active pasture use. Figure 9 provides
further analysis for the pasture lands by shading pasture acres
by the amount of rainfall. Te most useful lands for commer
cial beef production are found at rainfall gradients between
40 and 120 inches per year. Lands with lower rainfalls are
productive only seasonally, lands with too much rain produce
less optimal pasture quality. Only a small amount of pasture
lands below the Hāmākua Ditch have access to irrigation that
might supplement their productivity.
Figure 8. Percentage of pasture lands by judicial district
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬¬
¬
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 37
Hilo
Volcano
Kalaoa
Waimea
Kailua
Honalo
Mountain View
Honaunau
Hawaiian Ocean View
Holualoa
Waikoloa Village
Captain Cook
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Kealakekua
Kurtistown
Keaau
Pahoa
Leilani Estates
Ainaloa
Naalehu
Waip'o
Hawi
Discovery Harbour
Laupahoehoe
Papaikou
Wainaku
Honokaa
Paauilo
Pahala
Pepeekeo
Honomu
«200
«19
«11
«190
«250
«137
«270
«130
«132
«180
«160
«220
«27
«130
«19«190
«19
³
0 10 20 Miles1:750,000
MAUNALOA OBSERVATORY M A U N A L O A
H AWA I 'I VOL C A N O E S N AT I ON A L PAR K
M A U N A K E A
MAUNA KEA OBSERVATORIES
H ILO I N TL A I R P ORT
BRADSHAW AAF
UPOLU
KONA INTL AIRPORT
H A W A I ' I V O L C A N O E S
H I L O F O R E S T R E S E R V E
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
Ac
r
e
s
Rainfall INCH
Figure 9. Pasture Lands Summary Figure 9. Pasture Land Summary
38 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
3.4 Hawai‘i Island Irrigation Systems
Hawai‘i Island has four major agricultural water systems
that provide surface water for the irrigation to commercial
agricultural producers. Two of these systems are run by the
Department of Agriculture’s, Agricultural Resources Manage
ment Division (Lower Hāmākua Ditch and Waimea Irrigation
System), and two operate in a private, or semi-private fashion
(Kohala Ditch and Ka‘ū Springs). Te County Department of
Water Supply (DWS) also provides potable water for com
mercial agricultural use through its Agricultural Use Rate
program. Additionally, there are several surface water systems
that provide stock water to private ranches in the Kohala /
Waimea area and several private well systems that irrigate
macadamia nut orchards in Pahala and South Kona from
ground water sources. Tere are a growing number of small
private wells that serve a number of agricultural and residen
tial uses around the island and a signifcant number of farms
that use rain catchment to supplement crop demand. Tere
are also a range of small springs, seeps, and stream intakes that
supplement rainfall on individual farms, particularly along the
windward coast.
Te key factor in agricultural water is the cost of energy. Grav
ity fed water from mountain streams, springs and catchment
are signifcantly less expensive to operate than the water from
wells or other sources that need to pay energy costs for pump
ing and distribution.
Figure 10 shows the locations of the major irrigation systems
and the locations of DWS agricultural water users around the
Island.
3.4.1 Waimea Irrigation System
Te State DOA operates the
Waimea Irrigation System, serv
ing the Puʻukapu and Lālāmilo ar
eas in South Kohala. Te system
provides water to privately owned
lands in Lālāmilo and Puʻukapu
as well as Hawaiian Home lands
in the Puʻukapu area. Tere are
692 acres enrolled in the service
area and in FY 2009 the system
provided 296 million gallons to
truck crop, green houses, and
nursery operations. 89% of the water was used in the Lālāmilo
Farm Lots area. Annual water revenues collected from farmers
in 2009 was roughly $152,00042. Te cost of water is $0.50/1000
gallons plus a monthly service fee of $5.50/acre served
Te Source for this water supply system comes from stream
intakes in the upper area of Kohala Mountain with open stor
age in a reservoir near Lakeland and at the end of Wight Road.
Te system is run by State employees and supported annually
42 DOA Annual Report 2009
by taxpayers for both operations and capital improvements.
3.4.2 Honoka‘a-Pa‘auilo Irrigation System
Te use rights to the Hāmākua Ditch system was acquired by
the State from Kamehameha Schools in leasehold several years
afer Hāmākua Sugar Co. closed in the mid 1990’s. It serves
both farmers and ranchers makai of the ditch from Kukuihaele
to Pa‘auilo. Records from 2009 indicate that the system could
potentially serve 777 acres of farm land and 5687 acres of pas
ture land, although only a small portion of the farm land is in
active cultivation at this time. In FY 2009 the system sold 24.2
MGD and received $10,300 in water sales43. Te cost of water
is $0.50/1000 gallons plus a monthly service fee of $4.81/acre
for farm use and $0.29 for ranchers served.
Te sources of this system are four intakes at the back of
Waipi‘o Valley with several small reservoirs along the ditch
alignment. Flow in the ditch is capped at 17 MGD but due
to limited demand, daily withdraws are substantially lower
than that in 2012. Tis system is operated by State employees
and subsidized annually by taxpayers for both operations and
capital improvements.
3.4.3 Kohala Ditch
Te Kohala Ditch is currently operated by Surety Kohala Cor
poration and is in the process of being transferred to a newly
created non-proft corporation called the Kohala Ditch Founda
tion. Te system has been sustained by private funds since the
shutdown of Kohala Sugar in 1974. Its primary source is one
10MGD intake in Honokane Valley that is controlled by Kame
hameha Schools. Te Ditch currently serves approximately 60
users; the largest is Clover Leaf Dairy which uses the water for
stock purposes and to irrigate pastures for green chop to reduce
grain imports. Tere is also a
small hydro-power plant that
produces electricity from excess
ditch fow to contribute to the
utility grid. Te largest revenue
from ditch operations comes
from tour activities conducting
kayak foat tours.
Earth quake damage in 2007
resulted in the collapse of a
major fume in a remote por
tion of Honokane Valley and
the collapse of signifcant portions of the trail system that leads
to the main intake. Te fume has been rebuilt and additional
improvements have been made to keep the ditch fowing using
Federal and State funds. Access to the main intake is limited,
making regular maintenance difcult. Basic agricultural water
is charged at $0.25/1000 gallons. Total revenue from the system
is not available but revenues do not currently cover the full cost
of operations. No public funds are spent to operate the system.
43 DOA Annual Report, 2009
Waimea Irrigation System irrigating leaf crops in Lālāmilo
3.4.4 Ka‘ū Springs
Te Kaʻū district has 38 perched water sources that have been
developed at the 1700’ to 2500’ elevation in the lower reaches
of the Kaʻū Forest. Tese springs have been enhanced with
development tunnels that extend several hundred yards back
into the mountain to improve the fow from each spring. Te
sugar plantation used this water for fuming cane to the mill,
and later for wash and factory purposes. Several of these
springs (Haʻao and Mountain House) provide domestic water
to the Na’alehu/Waiʻōhinu area. Most of the spring sources are
on State land and are the responsibility of the Department of
Land and Natural Resources. Tey are currently leased to the
Small spring contribution to the Keaiwa-Noguchi System near Pāhala.
State’s Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) to be
subleased to local water cooperatives and the Department of
Water Supply.
Makakupu spring, located above Wood Valley, provides stock
water to Kapāpala Ranch, which operates under a State lease.
A portion of Noguchi tunnel provides agricultural water to
Wood Valley farmers, and Alili Springs, once used to provide
domestic water to Pahala town, now supplies irrigation water
to a local vegetable farmer above Pahala. Above Wood Valley
a cluster of 10 springs are connected together by new trans
mission pipeline improvements paid for by recent public and
private investments. Tis system, referred to as the Keaīwa-
Noguchi system, transmits water from Noguchi tunnel above
Wood Valley to Keaīwa Reservoir above Wood Valley Road
and is used to provide stock, farm, and processing water to
new agricultural improvements in that area. Tis improved
system is managed by the Olson Trust and has the capacity
to deliver 2 to 3MGD. It is currently charging $0.50/1000
gallons, pending a more detailed assessment of fnal water de
livery expenses. No public funds are currently used to operate
the system.
Improvements to several additional spring sources are planned
to provide crop and stock water, pending completion of agree
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 39
ments with the ADC and formalization of cooperative agree
ments among users. Taken together, the Ka‘ū springs ofer
important new opportunities to bring inexpensive gravity fed
water to agricultural activity in the region. Cooperation and
joint expenditures by users are keys to unlocking the potential
these small, spring-fed systems to support future food produc
tion in the Ka‘ū region.
3.4.5 Dept. of Water Supply (DWS)
Te County DWS provides potable drinking water to resi
dents throughout much of Hawai‘i Island. Tey have multiple
separate systems from various water sources that provide an
average of 24 MGD to 41 700 customers island-wide. Te bulk
of municipal water is pumped from deep wells around the
island and incurs signifcant energy cost to distribute the water
to customers. DWS has a policy to allow agricultural use of
water from their system at reduced rates when surplus water
is available. To be eligible for this service, customers are re
quired to be commercial agricultural operations, stock raisers,
or dairy operations, and to carry a current general excise tax
license. Customers must install a backfow preventer at their
meter and are required to apply annually for this special rate.
Water rates for consumers with agricultural rates vary by the
size of the installed meter and are similar to the rates paid by
domestic consumers for initial consumption volumes. Water
rates then drop to $1.00/1000 for larger volumes. All water
users on the DWS system also pay a small standard monthly
standby fee and an energy adjustment fee that spreads the ris
ing cost of water pumping across the entire system. In March
2012, the energy adjustment fee was $2.35/1000 gallons, mak
ing the total cost of agricultural water from the DWS system
well over $3.35/1000 gallons.
DWS provides agricultural water to 820 customers (2% of
the total) who consume roughly 2.8 MGD or 12% of the total
DWS consumption. Te largest single user of agricultural wa
ter is the Hawaii Natural Energy Lab at Keāhole Point in Kona,
which consumes over 600K gallons per day in support of algae
and other aqua cultural ventures.
For some commercial farmers, access to domestic quality wa
ter provides an important resource for irrigating and spraying
food crops because catchment or ditch water does not gener
ally meet food safety certifcation standards. Many regular
domestic customers use domestic water to periodically irrigate
home gardens and orchards, which are planted for home
consumption rather than commercial purposes. DWS plays
an important role in delivering water to agricultural proper
ties around the Island in a decentralized fashion from mul
tiple sources. Figure 10 provides a summary of the irrigations
systems discussed above and identifes the location of DWS
agricultural customers based on the size of the water meter
installed on the property.
40 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Hilo
Volcano
Kalaoa
Waimea
Kailua
Honalo
Mountain View
Honaunau
Hawaiian Ocean View
Holualoa
Waikoloa Village
Captain Cook
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Kealakekua
Kurtistown
Keaau
Pahoa
Leilani Estates
Ainaloa
Naalehu
Hawi
Discovery Harbour
Laupahoehoe
Papaikou
Wainaku
Honokaa
Paauilo
Pahala
Pepeekeo
Honomu
Waipi'o
«200
«19
«11
«190
«250
«137
«270
«130
«132
«180
«160
«220
«27
«130
«19«190
«19
35 ''
50 ''
65 ''
80 ''
25 '
'
10
0
'
'
16
0
'
'
15 ''
18
0
'
'
12
0
'
'
2
0
0
'
'
22
0
'
'
24
0
'
'
14
0
'
'
10
'
'
26
0
'
'
280 ''
10
'
'
100 ''
6
5
'
'
10 '
'
65 ''
1
4
0
'
'
10 ''
120
'
'
50
'
'
6
5
'
'
35
'
'
100 ''
15 ''
25 ''
80 ''
35
'
'
1
0
0
'
'
15 ''
3
5
'
'
14
0
'
'
5
0
'
'
80 ''
16
0
'
'
80 ''
25
'
'
³
0 10 20
Miles1:750,000
Rainfall Isohyets INCH
Existing Irrigation System
Water Spring Sources
County DWS Ag Rate Customers
Water meter size
! Less than 1"
! 1"-3"
! 4"-6"
MAUNALOA OBSERVATORY M A U N A L O A
HAWAI' I V OL CA N OE S N AT I O NA L PA R K
M A U N A K E A
MAUNA KEA OBSERVATORIES
HI LO INTL AI R P O RT
BRADSHAW AAF
UPOLU
KONA INTL AIRPORT
H A W A I ' I V O L C A N O E S
H I L O F O R E S T R E S E R V E
Figure 10. Figure 10. Agriculture Water Sources
Agriculture Water Sources
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬¬
¬
3.5 Agricultural Land Use Statistics
Te State and County employ several land use regulatory and
classifcation tools to defne the quality and allowable uses of
agricultural land. Tis section provides a summary of some of
those classifcation systems as they relate to the actual farming
that takes place on Hawai‘i Island.
3.5.1 State Land Use Agriculture
Hawai‘i Island’s total land area is roughly 2,580,000 acres, of
which 1,185,000 acres (48%) are in the State Land Use Agricul
tural district. Of that total agricultural land, 42,744 acres (4%)
are in active crops, 20,700 acres (2%) are in commercial for
estry, and 638,000 acres (54%) are in pasture use. Te remain
ing 40% of the State Agricultural district on Hawai‘i Island is
not utilized.
3.5.2 LSB Soil Classifcation
Te Land Study Bureau (LSB) classifed Hawai‘i’s soils into fve
categories from A to E depending on their relative fertility and
general grow
ing conditions.
Since soils are
relatively young
on Hawai‘i
Island there are
no A class soils
on the Island. B
soils represent
what the LSB
would call the
best of our ag
ricultural lands. Based on the current foot print of crops, 13%
of existing crops are on B class soils. 36% are on C class soils
and 51% are on soils classed as D or E. Figure 11 summarizes
the area in current crop production in each of the four soils
classes on Hawai‘i Island.
Tere are 46,430 acres of land in the B soil class, while just
5,363 acres (12%) are in active crop production in 2012. Tis
would suggest that the agronomic quality of Hawai‘i Island
soils alone is not necessarily the best predictor of where farm
ing is likely to take place. Other factors like location, land
ownership, irrigation accessibility, wind etc. play key roles in
decisions about farm location.
3.5.3 Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawai‘i (ALISH)
Te State also uses the ALISH soil classifcation system to
distinguish the quality of agricultural soils. ALISH has three
classifcations; Prime, Unique and Other that covers 552,267
acres, or about 47%, of the State Land Use Agricultural land
on Hawai‘i Island. Prime land accounts for 114,501 acres and
follows the general footprint of the former sugar industry in
Figure 11. Crops by LSB Soils Class
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 41
North Kohala, Hāmākua, South Hilo, Puna and Ka‘ū. Unique
lands amount to only1, 686 acres located in areas where a
small portion of the cofee crop grows in North and South
Kona and the taro lands on the foor of Waipio Valley. Other
lands amount to the bulk of the ALISH classifcation system
with 436,000 acres scattered in pasture and crop areas around
the island.
Figure 12. Crops by ALISH Soil Types
Overlaying the existing crop map on the ALISH classifcations
indicates that 34% of the currently cultivated lands are in the
Prime category, just 2% are in the Unique category and 40%
are classifed as Other. 24% of the existing crop base is on land
that is not even classifed as Agricultural Lands of Importance
to the State of Hawai‘i (Figure 12).
3.6 Hawai‘i County General Plan: Important Agricultural Lands
Te County’s General Plan contains a map to guide the alloca
tion of land uses in the County. One of the categories inserted
in the 2005 GP Update is referred to as Important Agricultural
Lands. Tis category of use is defned in the plan as follows:
Important Agricultural Land: Important agricultural lands
are those with better potential for sustained high agricultural
yields because of soil type, climate, topography, or other fac
tors. Important agricultural lands were determined by includ
ing the following lands:
• Lands identifed as “Intensive Agriculture” on the 1989
General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide maps.
• Lands identifed in the Agricultural Lands of Importance
to the State of Hawaii (ALISH) classifcation system as
“Prime” or “Unique”.
• Lands classifed by the Land Study Bureau’s Soil Survey
Report as Class B “Good” soils. (Tere is no Class A land
on the island of Hawaii)
• Lands classifed as at least “fair” for two or more crops,
on an irrigated basis, by the USDA Natural Resource
Conservation Service’s study of suitability for various
crops.
42 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
• In North and South Kona, the “cofee belt”, a continuous
band defned by elevation, according to input from area
farmers.
• State agricultural parks44.
Te Important Agricultural Land category in the General
Plan encompasses a total of 381,657 acres of which just
35,080 acres or 9% are in active crop use in 2012.
3.6.1 Existing Parcel Size and Truck CropProduction
Properties with truck crops are where most of the fresh vegeta
bles are grown on Hawai‘i Island. Te size of the parcels where
these crops are grown give us an indication about the land use
circumstances in which vegetable farming is currently taking
place. Figure 13 displays the percentage of land in truck crops
based on the size of parcel they are grown on. 16% of all truck
crop production takes place on parcels of 3 acres or less. 68%
takes place on lots 20 acres or less. Tese numbers emphasize
the importance of small agricultural properties to the produc
tion of food crops. Smaller agricultural lots are not always the
enemy of future agricultural production since 48% of all truck
farming that is currently occurring on Hawaii Island happens
on parcels less than 10 acres in size. Preserving large agricul
tural parcels may be less of an issue in food production than
are the incentives and circumstances in which farmers can get
access to reasonably sized properties for farm purposes.
Figure 13. Parcel Sizes Producing Truck Crops
3.7 Core Crop Lands
Existing soil classifcation systems, like ALISH and LSB, and
land use regulatory districts, like State Land Use Agriculture
and County General Plan IAL, represent traditional methods
to help focus attention, and regulatory protection, on the lands
that should be the most important to the future of agriculture
in Hawai‘i. Once adopted, these classifcation systems become
static and may lose their utility for helping current decision
makers to discern which lands are actually most important for
44 Hawaii County General Plan: 2005 Update page 14-8
the vitality of the agricultural industry. ALISH, for example,
was adopted in the 1980’s when sugar was still a dominant
land use in the State. As a result, all the former cane lands
were generally classed as Prime, in part, because they were
currently in production. With the departure of sugar, new
agriculture has evolved diferently but the ALISH classifca
tion remains a commonly used tool to describe agricultural
productivity. Further, there is a substantial over statement of
what lands are “Important”
for agricultural use for fear Core Crop Lands the lands that were not
classifed as agriculturally are the lands valuable, might become
the target of new land use from which
development activities. additional food Te presence of existing ir
rigation systems is ofen self sufciency
used as a key factor in deis most likely to termining the relative value
of agricultural land. In the emerge because Waimea area, this relation
ship between intensive ag-it is where the
riculture and the availability conditions that of a State operated irriga
tion system is fairly clear, support sustained
particularly in the Lalamilo
area. In North Kohala and agriculture
in Hāmākua, the existence already exist. of functioning, former plan
tation era ditch systems is
less a determinant of where farming actually happens. In both
of these cases, there is very little active, irrigated crop produc
tion taking place.
A comparison of the existing land use and soil classifcation
systems with a map of current farm activities suggests that
these tools are not necessarily efcient predictors of where
farming occurs on Hawai‘i Island. Te General Plan Impor
tant Agricultural Land category designates 91% more land
than is in current crop production and only 4% of the State
Agricultural District is in an active agricultural crop. Only
12% of the B classed soils are in active crop production, and
64% of existing crop activity occurs on lands that ALISH refers
to as Other or Unclassifed. Using soil quality and the avail
ability of irrigation water to predict the success of sustained
agriculture can produce a distorted view of which lands are
really the most Important for current and future agricultural
production.
Another way to identify where the most important agricultural
lands are would be to use the existing crop map to identify
where crops are already being grown. On the crop lands map
in Figure 7, agriculture occurs in clusters, around the con
fuence of certain resources, ownership patterns or weather
conditions. Each cluster is a little diferent from the other with
a unique set of forces that drive farm investment. Based on the
footprint of existing agriculture as shown in Figure 7 clusters
are easy to pick out. For example, in North Kohala the core
agricultural area would run below the Kohala Ditch and out
to the dairy at ‘Upolu, and perhaps encompass some of the
homestead lands at Ka‘auhuhu where small landowners could
farm on County water. In Kona, the Cofee Belt has been gen
eral defned by County Council action, Community Develop
ment Plan and by existing farm use. In Ka‘ū, the lands from
Wood Valley to Punalu‘u, including the existing macadamia
nut orchards, where the land is reasonably sloped and water is
available, would make a logical unit of agricultural potential.
Tere are eleven such clusters on Hawai‘i Island within which
93% of all the existing farming on the island takes place. Tese
areas are depicted in Figure 14, and could be referred to as
Core Crop Lands.
An advantage of the Core Crop Lands approach is that it
focuses collective attention on the ground where farming is
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 43
taking place, and on the existing conditions that make farm
ing feasible. From that vantage point, it is easier to see what
kind of support or intervention is needed to expand existing
farm activity, or begin some anew. Tese are the lands from
which additional food self sufciency is most likely to emerge
because it is where the conditions that support sustained agri
culture already exist.
Core Crop Lands should not be viewed in a regulatory fashion.
Tis is not a new regulatory designation, nor is it an exclusion
of the agricultural value of lands outside of the circles. Rather
Core Crop Lands should be seen as a way to identify strategic
lands within which eforts to stimulate new food production
is likely to be most successful. Understanding the unique
challenges that each area faces will help to inform the kinds
of investment and public policy supports needed to drive new
farm activity. Like eforts to stimulate a campfre, these are the
places where the judicious addition of new fuels or strategic
blowing on the ambers, is most likely to produce new fame.
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬¬
¬
44 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
H i l o
V o l c a n o
K a i l u a
K a l a o a
W a i m e a
H o n a l o
M o u n t a i n V i e w
H o n a u n a u
H a w a i i a n O c e a n V i e w
H o l u a l o a
W a i k o l o a V i l l a g e
C a p t a i n C o o k
H a w a i i a n P a r a d i s e P a r k
K e a l a k e k u a
K u r t i s t o w n
K e a a u
P a h o a
L e i l a n i E s t a t e s
A i n a l o a
N a a l e h u
H a w i
D i s c o v e r y H a r b o u r
L a u p a h o e h o e
P a p a i k o u
W a i n a k u
H o n o k a a
P a a u i l o
P a h a l a
P e p e e k e o
H o n o m u
«200
«19
«11
«190
«250
«137
«270
«130
«132
«180
«160
«220
«27
«19«190
«19
35 ''
50 ''
65 ''
80 ''
25 '
'
10
0
'
'
1
6
0
'
'
15 ''
18
0
'
'
12
0
'
'
20
0
'
'
22
0
'
'
24
0
'
'
14
0
'
'
10
'
'
26
0
'
'
280 ''
10
'
'
100 ''
6
5
'
'
10 ''
65 ''
1
4
0
'
'
10 ''
120
'
'
5
0
'
'
6
5
'
'
35
'
'
100 ''
15 ''
25 ''
80 ''
35
'
'
1
0
0
'
'
15 ''
3
5
'
'
14
0
'
'
5
0
'
'
80 '
'
16
0
'
'
80 ''
25
'
'
³
0 10 20
Miles1:750,000
Crops
Core Lands
MAUNALOA OBSER V A T OR Y M A U N A L O A
H AWA I 'I V O LCA N O E S N ATI ONA L PA R K
M A U N A K E A
MAUNA KEA OBSER V A T ORIES
H I L O I N T L A I R P O R T
BRADSHA W AAF
UPOLU
KONA INTL AIRPOR T
H A W A I ' I V O L C A N O E S
H I L O F O R E S T R E S E R V E
Figure 14. Core Crop Lands Figure 14. Core Crop Lands
3.8 Small Farm Opportunities
Hawai‘i Island’s existing settlement pattern is another impor
tant factor shaping the future of local food production. More
than any other island, Hawai‘i has a large number of small
agricultural parcels scattered around the island. Tese parcels
create a setting for both small scale farming and for back yard
gardening.
Tese existing lots are the product of historical subdivision
processes that started with Land Commission and the award
ing of lands at the Mahele in 1848. Troughout the monarchy
years other lands were cut into parcels and sold to island
resident. Territorial homesteading programs followed at the
turn of the 20th century provide individuals the ability to
acquire public lands by proving their ability to set up produc
tive homesteads in areas like Āhualoa, Laupāhoehoe, Hakalau,
Ka‘auhuhu and others. Further subdivision in the Kona Cofee
Belt was done in the early 1900’s, largely to adapt the strug
gling cofee industry to a more sustainable model of small
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 45
independent farmers managing small orchards using family
labor. Tis era was followed in the 1960’s by large speculative
agricultural subdivisions in Puna and Ka‘ū that predated the
adoption of modern planning regulations. Today, the exist
ing agricultural settlement pattern on Hawai‘i Island creates
opportunities for individuals to acquire and utilize agricultural
land in small to medium sized units. Not all of these lands are
currently utilized, but they hold signifcant potential for more
active use in future food production.
Figure 15 depicts the location and general size of agricultural
parcels from 0.5 acres to 20 acres in size. Tis rural settle
ment pattern accounts for over 135,000 parcels, and more than
200,000 acres of agricultural land. Te existing settlement pat
tern on Hawai‘i Island is a potential asset for increasing food
production. Small agricultural parcels provide opportunities
for small landowners to explore more intensifed agricultural
use and, in the event of a future food crisis; each of these land
owners has a resource to turn to for supplementing their own
food supply and producing food for others.
46 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Figure 15. Small Farm Opportunities: Parcels under 20 acres
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 47
3.9 Other Existing AgriculturalStatistics
Tis section provides a summary of existing statistics that shed
some light on the nature of agricultural activities on Hawai‘i
Island.
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 2007 Census
of Agriculture
Te 2007 Census of Agriculture is produced by the National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), a branch of the US De
partment of Agriculture (USDA). Te census was conducted
in 2007 and issued in 2009. Te next census will be conducted
in 2012 and released in 2014. Te census is conducted by a
mail-out survey to farmers and ranchers across the United
States; participation is voluntary. Results are used to inform
policy makers for allocating resources to support agriculture
nationally.
Statistics of Hawai‘i Agriculture 2009, State Department of
Agriculture
Te 2009 report on agricultural statistics from DOA is the
latest available data on Hawai‘i agriculture. Due to budget cuts
in 2008, the majority of staf assigned to collect crop and other
data for this report were laid of. As a result, 2009 data is less
robust than it has been in the past. Nevertheless, there is some
useful agricultural data in the report, which come from other
administrative requirements, in addition to reporting from
farmers, ranchers, processors and others.
Te following are some highlights extracted from available
data sources on agriculture in Hawai‘i. Unless otherwise
footnoted, the source for these highlights is NASS 2007 Ag
ricultural Census for Hawai‘i: State and County Data report
Volume 1, Geographical Area Series, Part 1.
Farm and Ranch Measures
• Tere are 4,650 farms and ranches on Hawai‘i Island,
which is 62% of the total number in the state of Hawai‘i.
• Tere are 683,819 acres in farm and ranch on the Island,
accounting for 61% of all such land in the state.
• 62% of all farm and ranches on the Island are less than
10 acres and 90% are less than 50 acres.
• Tere are 58,635 acres of irrigated land in the State of
Hawai‘i, 14% of this is on Hawai‘i Island. Maui has 48%
of the total, O‘ahu has 14% and Kaua‘i has 24%.
Farm Revenues
• 42% of all farms and ranches on Hawai‘i Island report
less that $2,500 in annual sales. 6% report more than
$100 000 annually.
• Te average farm and ranch sales on Hawai‘i Island is
$43,564 with an average net of $5 362.
• Te State’s average farm and ranch gross revenue
is $68,292 with an average net reported income of
$410,089.
• Vegetables, melons, and sweet potatoes yielded $8.4 mil
lion on Hawai‘i Island which was 14% of the state’s total
of $61.2 million
• Nursery, greenhouse, and foriculture produced $60.8
million or 51% of the state’s total of $119.6 million
• Fruits, nuts, and berries produced $60.8 million or 44%
of the state’s total of $119.5 million
Cattle and Pork
• Te cattle and calves inventory in the state in 2007 was
151,479; 71% of those (108,093) are on Hawai‘i Island.
• 50% of all ranches on Hawai‘i Island sell fewer than 10
head annually. 4% of the ranches account for 68% of the
sales.
• In 2007, Hawai‘i Island had just 8% of the State’s inven
tory of hogs and pigs.
Farm Labor
• 51% of the State’s hired farm labor (5,894 employees) is
on Hawai‘i Island. 23% of the farms hire just one worker
and 69% hire fewer than 4 workers.
• In 2009, the total farm workforce was 10,600 statewide,
33% of these were in self employed farm operations and
10% were unpaid family workers45
Crop Production
• In 2007, there were 535 acres of taro grown in the State,
71 acres, or 13% , were grown on Hawai‘i Island
• 78% of the orchard land in the State is on Hawai‘i Island.
• 81% of the State’s papaya acreage is on Hawai‘i Island, as
well as 66% of its lemons and 65% of its limes
• 98% of all the macadamia nut acreage is on Hawai‘i
Island.
• 69% of the State avocado acreage is on Hawai‘i Island
and 54% of its banana orchards
45 Statistics of Hawai‘i Agriculture 2009, State Department of Agriculture
48 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
3.10 Agriculture and Hawai‘i County Real Property Taxes
In 2010, the County of Hawai‘i’s real property tax (RPT)
system provided agricultural property value adjustments for
11,741 parcels (1.16 million acres) that claimed to be in ac
tive agricultural use. Tese exemptions reduced the property
values on those lands from $4.5 billion to $442 million, with
a resulting tax savings to those agricultural property owners
of $34 million annually. Provisions for these exemptions are
contained in the Hawai‘i County Code Chapter 19, Sections
19-57 and 19-60.
Tere are two types of County land use tax incentives for agri
cultural land. Te Agricultural Use Rate program revises the
market value of a property to refect the value of the crop that
is being grown on it. Assessed values for land in agricultural
use vary, based on the value of the products that are being
produced. Pasture lands carry the lowest assessed value, while
more intensive uses like truck crops and orchards pay more
since they usually produce more revenue per acre. A break
down of assessed values by agricultural use is found in Table 5.
Land owners apply for the program and provide a map of their
agricultural use to the County Tax Ofce. Assessors confrm
that the agricultural use has been, or is being, installed before
the new assessment rate is approved. Tere are no formal
ongoing inspections or requirements to prove that the use
remains active, nor is there a commitment by the landowner
to have to retain the proposed use for any particular period in
time.
Real property tax break programs for agricultural land use are
used throughout the United States as well as other countries.
Tey are intended to apply real property tax policy to encour
age intensive agricultural production and to mitigate the im
pacts of rising real estate values on the economics of commer
cial farms and ranches. Public benefts from these programs
are expected to come in the form of more active agricultural
use, sustained employment, and other business revenues. In
Hawai‘i County, real property tax incentives for agricultural
use are the largest form of annual government subsidy that the
agricultural industry receives. Tere is, however, little in the
way of active enforcement to ensure ongoing productive
agricultural use and no requirement for the landowner, in
either program, to submit proof of agricultural activities in the
form of taxes paid on farm revenues or receipts to verify that
produce from the lands were used in some publically benef
cial fashion.
Figure 16 depicts the location of lands in Hawai‘i County that
are currently in either the Agricultural Dedication or Agricul
tural Use programs. Te map shows the entire Tax Map Key
on which an approved use occurs and tends to overstate the
area that is actually in agricultural production. Te pie chart
in Figure 16 illustrates the actual number of acres that are
subject to benefcial agricultural valuations as they have been
agreed to by the County and the landowner.
Further review of RPT data suggests that most landowners
prefer not to commit their property for agricultural dedication
for a period of 10-20 years. Instead, they generally prefer to
pay slightly more in taxes for
Table 5. Hawai‘i County real property tax assessed values for agricultural uses. the Agricultural Use Rate and
Type of Agricultural Use Sample of Applicable Crops Assessed Value
per acre
Intensive Agriculture Truck crops, vegetables, ginger, taro,
herbs, foliage, nurseries, apiaries, con
fned animals, piggery, dairy, poultry
4,000
Orchard & Multi-Year Crops Macadamia, banana, papaya, cofee,
tropical fruit
$3,000
Biomass & Agronomics Forage crops, sugar cane, fast rotation
forestry (7 years or less)
$1,000
Extensive Agriculture & Forestry Pasture, slow rotation forestry, dedi
cated native forest
$420
Te second program is an Agricultural Dedication program
that is similar to the Agricultural Use Rate program, but
requires the landowner to remain in the selected crop for a
minimum of 10 years. Dedicated agricultural land is charged
annual taxes based on half of the assessed values for agricul
tural use outlines in Table 5. Te dedication program contains
penalty provisions in the event that the agricultural use is ter
minated before the end of the dedication period. Te agricul
tural use rate program has no such penalty provisions.
avoid the commitment and re
lated penalties associated with
dedication. 63% of all pasture
acres are in the agricultural use
program while only 37% are
dedicated. Only 16% of the
land in truck crop is dedicated
while 84% is in the agricultural
use program.
County real property tax data
was used in the agricultural
mapping process presented in
Section 4 of this report. It was
particularly helpful in locat
ing small agricultural producers on properties of 3.0 acres or
less. A map of these small properties and a summary of the
area and uses claimed to be agriculture under this program
are provided in Figure 17. With the use of current satellite
imagery, it was clear that some of the claimed uses appeared to
be ongoing, while others did not.
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬¬
¬
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 49
Hilo
Volcano
Kalaoa
Waimea
Kailua
Honalo
Mountain View
Honaunau
Hawaiian Ocean View
Holualoa
Waikoloa Village
Captain Cook
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Kealakekua
Kurtistown
Keaau
Pahoa
Leilani Estates
Ainaloa
Naalehu
Hawi
Discovery Harbour
Laupahoehoe
Papaikou
Wainaku
Honokaa
Paauilo
Pahala
Pepeekeo
Honomu
Waipi'o
«200
«19
«11
«190
«250
«137
«270
«130
«132
«180
«160
«220
«27
«130
«19«190
«19
³
0 10 20
Miles1:750,000
MAUNALOA OBSERVATORY M A U N A L O A
HAWA I ' I VO L CA N O ES NAT I O NA L PA RK
M A U N A K E A
MAUNA KEA OBSERVATORIES
H ILO INTL A I R P O RT
BRADSHAW AAF
UPOLU
KONA INTL AIRPORT
H A W A I ' I V O L C A N O E S
H I L O F O R E S T R E S E R V E
Crops By Acre
Truck Crops Orchards Pasture
C B A
Pasture
533,127
Orchards
40,761
Truck Crops 8,937
Figure 16. Lands with Agricultureal Use and Dedications Programs in 2011
Figure 16. Lands with Agricultureal Use
and Dedications Programs in 2011
50 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
3.10.1 Tax Policy and Food Self-Sufficiency
Te current County agricultural real property tax program
was established decades ago when much of Hawai‘i agriculture
was in large sugar operations that were relatively easy to moni
tor. Since plantation operations had been around for decades
with stable land use patterns, the tax program was developed
without a requirement to report annual proof of ongoing farm
or ranch activities. As a result there is little accountability
on the part of the landowner to insure that agricultural use
remains active and productive. Te Real Property Tax Ofce is
not funded to provide comprehensive inspection and enforce
ment of the program, nor is the ofce stafed with agricultural
expertise. As a result, it is fairly simple to receive agricultural
benefts with little or no public benefts accrued from the
claimed agricultural use.
For many agriculture land owners, both the agricultural use
rate and dedication programs are a practical way to reduce
their real property tax liability. Te lowest rate is paid by land
owners who fence their land, provide stock water and keep
animals in a pasture setting. Owners who purchased their
property for $20-$30 000 per acre are paying real property tax
es on the same land based on an agricultural use rate assessed
value for pasture of $420/acre. Tere is also no tax incentive
that would suggest that a landowner actually farm, or fnd a
truck farmer to farm their property, when a less intensive use
garners the lowest possible tax rate. Te County tax revenue
implications of this agricultural land devaluation are signif
cant, particularly if there is no measurable beneft to the public
from some portions of the claimed agricultural use.
Te current agricultural land tax system is an important tool
for viable farms and ranches to mitigate tax expenses. Given
the run-up in real estate values in the last 30 years, many
commercial farmers and large ranchers could not aford to
pay property taxes on the current market value of their land.
Te County’s program bufers the impact of land speculation
on agriculture and is critical to retaining active agricultural
operations Island-wide. It has, however, become a tool for any
agricultural land owner to seek tax relief based on minimal
agricultural use with limited agency oversight. A comprehen
sive review of the current agricultural land tax program could
help to update the focus of this important policy and create
procedures to increase accountability for receiving the incen
tives and to encourage certain types of agriculture that could
help to increase local food self-sufciency.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 51
UPOLU ³ Hawi
270¬«
Waipi'o
Honokaa
250¬« ¬27«
Paauilo Waimea «19¬
Laupahoehoe
Waikoloa Village
¬19«
MAUNA KEA OBSERVATORIES Honomu
H I L O F O R E S T 220¬«
M A U N A K E A R E S E R V E Pepeekeo
KONA INTL AIRPORT 190¬«
200¬« Papaikou
BRADSHAW AAF Kalaoa Wainaku H IL O IN T L
190¬« 19¬« A IR P O RT
Hilo
Kailua Holualoa
Keaau ¬180« Honalo 130MAUNALOA Kurtistown «¬ OBSERVATORY Hawaiian Paradise Park M A U N A L O A Mountain View
Captain Cook Ainaloa
Pahoa Volcano ¬«132
Leilani Estates Kealakekua
¬«Honaunau ¬«160 137 H A W A I ' I V O L C A N O E S
HAWA I ' I VOL C ANO E S 130¬«NAT I O N A L PAR K
¬11 «
Pahala
Hawaiian Ocean View Pasture
Naalehu 5,158
Discovery Harbour
Truck Crops
982
Orchards 2,582 Crops By Acre 1:750,000 Miles Pasture Truck Crops Orchards 0 10 20 Number of Parcel Dedications: 2,450
Figure 17. County Real Property Tax Agriculture Use and Dedicated Land Figure 17. County RPT Agricultural Use
or Dedication under 3 acres
52 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
4 Regional Agricultural Summaries
4.1 North Kohala
Background
North Kohala was once one of the most active agricultural areas
on Hawai‘i Island. For centuries, wetland taro was produced
in the windward valley and an extensive dryland feld sys
tem stretched for miles along the mid-level slopes of Kohala’s
leeward coast. By the 1860’s, sugar began to replace subsistence
farming as the primary agricultural activity. By the early 1900’s
nearly 20,000 acres of sugar production were fed by a surface
irrigation system that served six sugar mills and irrigated the
most leeward plantation felds. Sugar production ended in
1974, and new agricultural activity has emerged in sporadically
over the last 40 years.
Te foliage industry, led by Kohala Nursery, was the frst suc
cessful post=plantation agricultural venture to develop from a
host of unsuccessful eforts that were envisioned by the State’s
Kohala Task Force in the mid to late
Irrigated grass lands being harvested to provide green chop
for dairy cattle at clover Leaf Dairy in ‘Upolu Point
commercial dairy operations in the State of Hawai‘i. As a result,
it is an important strategic asset in Hawai‘i Island’s overall food
self-sufciency. Milk from Clover Leaf Dairy is sold to Meadow
Gold Dairies and processed at its facility in Hilo. It appears on
consumer shelves under several diferent brand names.
Tere is a small amount of vegetable farming in North Kohala,
although there is signifcant interest within the Kohala com
munity to strive for community food Table 6. North Kohala Crop Land Acres 1970’s. For a time, Kohala Nursery was self-sufciency. A Food Forum held in
the biggest foliage plant exporter in the
State. Rising competition and economic
cycles, both locally and nationally, have
seen the foliage industry grow and then
recede in Hawai‘i. Kohala Nursery and
several other smaller foliage operations
in Kohala are now much smaller busi
nesses than in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Tere are currently about 100 acres of
land in North Kohala dedicated to foli
age production, most of it in Honomakaʻu and Kapaʻau. Products
include palms, potted plants, and landscape trees and shrubs.
Macadamia orchards were part of plantation diversifcation
experiments beginning in the 1960’s. It was not until the early
1980’s that commercial planting began in earnest. Today, there
are over 1,300 acres in macadamia nuts in North Kohala. Te
orchards are largely un-irrigated once the trees are established.
Te success of macadamia nut growers and processors has
fuctuated with market conditions over the years. In 2012,
Kohala’sgrowers are able to sell virtually all of the nuts they
produce at a higher price than they have seen in some time.
Nuts are sold to several processors on the Island and are gener
ally exported for bulk use or packaged for retail sales across the
country.
Kohala is home to Clover Leaf Dairy, which moved into a
State-owned feedlot near ʻUpolu Point in 1985. Te Dairy
operates on 880 acres and has 600 milking cows. Te dairy uses
Kohala Ditch water to irrigate pasture lands to produce green
chop which is used as feed to reduce the grain imports required
by concentrated dairy operations. Clover Leaf is one of only two
North Kohala 2143 (crop acres)
Dairy 841
Flowers & Foliage 92
Macadamia Nuts 1100
Special Crops 6
Tropical Fruits 89
Truck Crops 16
North Kohala in 2009 identifed a rela
tively short list of fve to six commercial
farmers in the region, most of whom
were organic vegetable growers who
marketed their crops to local residents,
restaurants, and to retail outlets around
the Island. Tere was a longer list of
farmers who did not see themselves in
commercial terms, but rather farmed to
help feed themselves and their neigh
bors in a more informal fashion. In addition to these commer
cial and private farm operations, there are several community-
based eforts to educate Kohala young people in the business of
farming and to promote family farming for local self-sufciency.
Statistics gathered at the 2009 Food Forum estimated that North
Kohala produced just 1% of the food that was consumed in the
region and 8% of the food consumed in local restaurants.
Tere are about 90 acres of tropical fruit orchard in the North
Kohala district, most of which is sold locally or shipped to dis
tributors on other Islands.
Cattle pastures are the largest single agricultural lands in the
district. Large ranches, such as Ponoholo, Kahua, Kukuipahu
and, Parker, use most of Kohala’s pasture lands. Tere are
also a number of smaller independent cattle producers in the
district. Te bulk of cattle production is exported as wean-ofs
and shipped to the west coast. A portion of the beef and pork
that is raised by small producers in North Hawai‘i is slaughtered
and chilled at a private facility in North Kohala for home use or
distributed informally within the community.
of Hawaii Food Self-Sufficiency Baseline Study
Dairy
Flowers & Foliage
• Macadamia Nuts •
Existing Irrigation Systems
8 Spring
Tank
Rainfall Inch
Elevation Contours
Flowers & Foliage
92 ..............
North Kohala Crop Land Summary
/
Truck Crop
16
N
I
-Macadamia Nuts
1,100
-Specialty Crops
\ 6
Tropical Fruits
89
Crop By Acre
UNIVERSITY of HAWAI'I'
HILO
Figure 18. North Kohala Crop Land Summary
Tere are about 90 acres of tropical fruit orchard in the North
Kohala district, most of which is sold locally or shipped to
distributors on other Islands.
Cattle pastures are the largest single agricultural lands in the
district. Large ranches, such as Ponoholo, Kahua, Kukuipahu
and, Parker, use most of Kohala’s pasture lands. Tere are
also a number of smaller independent cattle producers in the
district. Te bulk of cattle production is exported as wean-ofs
and shipped to the west coast. A portion of the beef and pork
that is raised by small producers in North Hawai‘i is slaugh
tered and chilled at a private facility in North Kohala for home
use or distributed informally within the community.
Irrigation Water
North Kohala has agricultural land with both windward and
leeward weather exposure. Te remote valleys of the Kohala
Mountain have
been the main
source of irrigation
for the district. Te
use of irrigation
water is particu
larly important on
leeward lands
west of Kapa‘au.
Water is trans
mitted through
the Kohala Ditch
which extends 22
miles from remote
stream intakes to
the wind-swept
lands near ‘Upolu Commercial tours of the Kohala Ditch Point. Te Kohala help to support the continued flow of Ditch was built in irrigation water to the region 1906 and is now
owned and operated by the district’s largest landowner, Surety
Kohala Ltd. Te ditch’s principal stream intake is on lands
owned by Kamehameha Schools in the remote east branch of
Honokane Valley.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 55
Te Kohala Ditch is an anomaly in the world of Hawai‘i plan
tation irrigation systems. It has survived for nearly 40 years
afer the sugar industry shut down without being acquired or
subsidized by the State or other government funds. Te ditch
remains in private ownership and the process is underway to
lease it to a non-proft foundation to operate it in the future.
As originally designed, the system had the capacity to convey
30 to 40 MGD at high fow. It now has a renovated intake in
Honokane that limits fow to 10.0 MGD and even this amount
exceeds the region’s current agricultural demand. Te frst
government monies invested in the Kohala Ditch came as a
result of emergency repairs afer a large earthquake in 2007
damaged key fumes, destroyed access trails, and silted up the
major intake. Te last of the federal money was spent in 2011
to install pipelines in portions of the ditch that were subject to
major water losses due to seepage. Currently the ditch is fully
operational, but there are ongoing issues associated with trail
access to the intakes and the condition of fumes and distribu
tions lines that challenge future operations.
Te Kohala Ditch is at a major crossroads and its viability as
an agricultural resource to the North Kohala district is uncer
tain. Current demand for agricultural water by commercial
agricultural endeavors in the region is low. Aside from the
dairy at ‘Upolu Pt, there are few commercial farmers using
ditch water. Te largest income producer for the ditch has
been kayak foat tours that use the ditch to transport visitors
through the district on private fume adventures. Tere is also
a small hydro-power plant near the end of the ditch, which
has produced intermittent electrical power to the public utility
company for several decades. Te Kohala Nursery and an
aquaculture operation were both steady users of ditch water
prior to the earthquake.
In addition to the Kohala Ditch, there are several perched
water springs that provide reasonably dependable agricultural
water. Te privately-owned Bond Tunnel in I‘ole and the
County Water Department-controlled Watt Tunnel are two
important resources for agriculture in the region. Together,
they produce approximately1.0 MGD. Both of these springs
are currently used to support small truck and orchard opera
tions and provide interim water to the Kohala Nursery when
ditch service was interrupted.
56 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
4.1.1 North Kohala Contribution to Food Self-Sufficiency
Te following are some of the drivers in North Kohala’s contri
bution of Food Self-Sufciency
• Tere is over 65,100 acres of pasture lands in North
Kohala, a portion of which have windward weather
exposure making them some of the most productive
grasslands on the Island. More high quality pasture
lands could be added by addressing invasive species like
guava and christmas berry in several windward areas.
• Some of Hawai ‘i’s most recognized pasture managers run
cattle in North Kohala.
• An existing dairy operation produces a signifcant por
tion of Hawai‘i Island’s fresh milk supply. Were it to
receive new investment capital and sustained ditch water,
the dairy could be a major player in Island food self-
sufciency over the long term.
• Te Kohala Ditch system that could provide new farm
opportunities for landowners and farmers willing to
commit to the work and investment it takes to sustain
such a system without government subsidies. Currently
without State subsidies or signifcant agricultural water
users in the region, the Kohala Ditch’s future depends
heavily on non-agricultural revenues from tour activi
ties and hydropower generation which are insufcient to
secure its future.
Students particpating in a Eat Local program in North Kohala (photo courtesy of Andrea Dean)
• Tere is an active group of North Kohala residents who
seem committed to being a model of community food
self-sufciency and who work hard to promote produc
tion and buying of local produce. Tis includes several
youth programs aimed at training new farmers and
connecting Kohala families to their potential as food
producers.
• Strong community advocacy for shoreline protection is
showing results through public open space acquisition
and new coastal trail access to the shoreline areas for
fshing and gathering of food Similar eforts to preserve
community access to mauka hunting opportunities also
help to sustain the community’s access to portions of its
local food supply.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 57
4.2 South Kohala
Background
Farm lands in South Kohala are concentrated around Waimea
and are some of the most productive food producing areas on
Hawai‘i Island. Taken together, the farms lots in Lālāmilo and
Pu‘ukapu account for about 445 acres of active truck crop pro
duction. Crops include Chinese and head cabbage, tomatoes,
corn, pumpkins, celery, beets,
strawberries, a wide variety of let
tuces, and other leaf crops. Tis
produce ends up on store shelves
and in restaurants throughout
Hawai‘i Island. Roughly 50% of
the crop is exported to O‘ahu and
other neighbor Islands.
Tere are approximately 25 farm
ers currently in production in this
region. Te bulk of the Waimea
produce is grown on lands that are
held in fee simple. Te Lālāmilo
Farm Lots were initially State-
owned lands that were sold of to farmers in the 1980’s. Most
parcels remain in active agriculture, yet several have migrated to
other business operations, including a veterinary facility, horse
boarding and training facility, and an ice cream manufacturer.
In the Pu‘ukapu area, lands are either owned in fee simple or
leased to Hawaiian homesteaders from the Department of Ha
waiian Home Lands. Very few of the Hawaiian Homes parcels
are in active agriculture, most are in pasture use. One bright light
on DHHL lands is the green house tomato and vegetable pro
ducer WOW Farms who is continuing to expand their family
operation.
Tere has been a slow decline of active farming in the Waimea
area, driven in part by the lack of Table 7. South Kohala Crop Land Acres next generation farmers and the
difculty in producing commer
cial food crops in an environment
of increasing costs and relatively
infexible market prices.
Parker Ranch is the largest land
owner and agricultural busi
ness in the district. Te ranch is run by the Parker Ranch
Foundation Trust, which is dedicated to the support of several
educational and medical benefciaries in the region and to the
betterment of the community as a whole. Parker Ranch runs its
cattle operation primarily as an export, cow/calf business and
retains little of its beef production in the state. Discussions are
ongoing within Parker Ranch on ways that the company might
increase its role in the local grass fed beef industry and ways to
use selected lands for more intensive agricultural purposes.
SOUTH KOHALA 468 (crop acres)
Flowers & Foliage 7
Special Crops 5
Truck Crops 457
Organic lettuce grown in Lālāmilo by Chris Robb Farms and distributed statewide
Waimea Irrigation System
Te Waimea Irrigation System is 15 miles long and is designed
to delivers 400+ MG per year. Te current service area for
this system is approximately 700 acres, based on monthly
service area payments in 2009, but not all of that land is in
active production. Annual water use in 2009 was less than 300
million gallons. Te source of the system is surface water col
lected in the upper elevations of the Kohala Mountains. Water
is collected from surface
streams, sent by ditch and
pipeline to several tanks
and reservoirs in east
ern Waimea, then piped
through Pu‘ukapu to the
leeward side of Waimea in
Lālāmilo. Water is sold to
farmers a $0.50/1000 gal
lons, plus a monthly service
charge of $5.50/acre per
month. Water prices are set
by the Board of Agriculture
with fxed step ups and are
applied similarly to all State owned irrigation systems.
Te State-run irrigation system requires a signifcant annual
subsidy from the State General Fund to cover the actual cost of
operations. All capital expenses associated with dams, intakes,
reservoirs and pipe repairs or replacement are funded through
legislative appropriations and are not covered by operating
revenues. Like all other State-operated irrigation systems,
there is a public subsidy applied to the collection and delivery
of Waimea irrigation waters that is not factored into the actual
price of locally grown produce.
Prolonged periods of drought, as the region has experienced
in recent years, does have an impact on available water supply.
When reservoir levels drop, farmer’s
use of the system can be restricted.
Te Kohala Mountains provide
surface water for several important
surface water collection systems
that support domestic, agricultural
and pasture uses in the region.
Watershed management eforts
conducted by the Kohala Watershed
Partnership are important to help insure that these high level
gravity fed water sources are sustainable on the long term.
58 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Crop Production Estimates
Tere is no published data source to determine the exact
amount of food grown in the Waimea area. Te most useful
data set comes from the operations of the vacuum cooling
plant which processes about 70% of the vegetables produced
in the region. Conversations with several farmers in the area
suggest that roughly 50% of the area’s production is exported
to Honolulu via the cooling plant and Young Brothers. Te re
maining volume is sold to Hawai‘i Island retailers, restaurants,
and institutions for local consumption. Cooling Plant Co-Op
records indicate that roughly fve million pounds of vegetables
were cooled at the plant in 2010. Tis is down from 2007,
when cooling demand topped seven million pounds.
Production Challenges
Farmers in Lālāmilo and Pu‘ukapu share many of the same
constraints that other food farmers face. Te price for fuel,
fertilizer, and labor all continue to increase. Te cost of pack
ing boxes and shipping costs also continue to rise, eating away
at basic proftability. Shipping costs, in particular, are a persis
tent market challenge to Waimea farmers as the cost of export
ing are ultimately born by the farmer who has to compete on a
price-per-pound basis with producers on O‘ahu and elsewhere.
Food safety certifcation is a growing issue for many commer
cial farmers. Tere is increasing pressure from major retailers
and institutional buyers to insure that the produce they sell or
process has been food safety certifed. Conforming to food
safety certifcation standards does, however, provide opportu
nities for access to larger retail markets statewide and many of
the Waimea farmers have stepped up to that opportunity.
Other constraints that may impact the production of food in
Waimea include:
• Increase in land values that may prompt the sell-of and
shut down of farm operations
• Climate trends that impact surface water supplies
• Competitive production of similar crops in the central
plain of O‘ahu
• Te age of equipment at the vacuum cooling plant will
require new investment in coming years
• Energy costs associated with operating vacuum cooling
equipment continue to rise
• Persistent windy condition that limit feld crop selection
4.2.1 South Kohala Contribution to Food Self-Sufficiency
Te following are some of the drivers in South Kohala’s contri
butions toward Food Self-Sufciency
• Afordable irrigation water provided by the State-operat
ed Waimea Irrigation System
• Flat, deep, arable soil in a cool weather environment that
is conducive to leaf crop production
• A State-owned and cooperatively operated vacuum cool
ing plant to prepare crops for shipment
• A body of long term commercial farmers, many of which
have been in operation for decades
• Parker Ranch Foundation Trust, the district’s largest
landowner, has a long standing commitment to local beef
production and is committed to a leadership role in help
ing to shape the region’s future
• Convenient access to Kawaihae Harbor and Keāhole
Airport to support product export
• A watershed with existing stream diversions and a deliv
ery system to provide gravity-fed water
Study for Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii County
South Kohala Crop Land Summary
Figure 19. South Kohala Crop Land Summary
Study for Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii County
Specialty Crops
Taro
Tropical Fruits
• Truck Crops
I 2
Commerc~al Forestry
Existing lr~ation Systems
"-' Rainfalllncl\
Aqua~ulture ~
Truck Crops ---
249
Tropical Fruits
395 ..........
Taro ---
51
Specialty Crops /
61 --Macadamia Nuts
778
Hamakua Crop Land Summary
~
\
--Dairy
2,342
-Flowers & Foliage
Crops By Acre 27
UNIVERSITY
of HAWAI'I'
HILO
Figure 20. Hāmākua Crop Land Summary
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 61
4.3 Hāmākua
Background
Te Hāmākua District extends from ‘O‘okala to Waipi‘o Val
ley. Te area supported a signifcant pre-contact population
centered on the deep, watered valleys of Waipi‘o and Waimanu
where taro was grown in abundance. In addition to tradi
tional lo‘i agriculture, Hawaiians grew other staples in gardens
and scattered patches in areas surrounding settlements that
stretched along the coastline on the upper plateau.
Hāmākua shares a long plantation history with much of
Hawai‘i Island’s windward coast. Sugar was the predominant
crop produced by multiple plantations from the 1870’s to 1994.
Hāmākua also has a long ranching tradition which fourished
on lands above the cane felds in pastures on the upper slope
of Mauna Kea. Cattle operations remain a major land user in
the district today. Some of the earliest commercial plantings
of macadamia nuts were in the Kapulena area in the 1960-70’s
with additional orchards planted in the 1990’s.
Table 8. Hāmākua Crop Land Acres
Hāmākua 3905 (crop acres)
Aquaculture 2
Dairy 2342
Flowers & Foliage 27
Macadamia Nuts 778
Special Crops 61
Taro 51
Tropical Fruits 395
Truck Crops 249
Te bankruptcy of Hāmākua Sugar Co. in 1992 was a point
of major transformation within the district. Te bulk of the
HSC land—nearly 30,000 acres—was purchased in foreclo
sure by Kamehameha Schools and then leased primarily for
pasture and forestry use. State lands in the district were leased
to ranchers and to a cooperative of small farmers who have
struggled to establish viable small farm operations along the
coast where irrigation water was available. Te State Depart
ment of Agriculture assumed operating responsibility for the
Hāmākua Ditch, which had brought 30 to 40 MGD of surface
water from multiple intakes at the back of Waipi‘o Valley to
serve approximately 5,500 acres of former cane land from
Waipi‘o to Pa‘auilo. Te remaining 20,000+ acres of the sugar
land in the Hāmākua District were unirrigated, relying on
seasonal rainfalls of 60 to120 inches annually.
Current Agricultural Activity
In 2012, the largest intensive agricultural crop in the Hāmākua
region is eucalyptus forestry. Tere are over 17,300 acres in
commercial forestry production in Hāmākua, most on lands
leased from Kamehameha Schools and Parker Ranch by
mainland-based forestry companies. Te forests were initially
planted to produce wood fber to be shipped of-island for
paper production on a 7 to 8 year rotation. Due to a combina
tion of market conditions, changing leasehold ownership and
export infrastructural issues, the eucalyptus plantings have yet
to be harvested nearly 20 years afer they were planted. Te
most likely market for the wood now appears to be biomass to
fuel electrical energy generation. Tere may also be a market
for selected larger logs which could be sold for higher eco
nomic uses including veneer and dimensional timber. Te
Hāmākua forest plantings are a key asset in the development
of a forest industry on Hawai‘i Island but it is still uncertain
whether that opportunity will be realized.
Macadamia nut orchards take up 778 acres in Hāmākua
and are managed by small landowners or lessees in 5 to 20
acre orchards. Tese orchards are generally un-irrigated and
production varies based on regional rainfall and the degree
to which market values provide sufcient incentives to small
farmers to maintain and harvest their orchards. Te market in
2012 has been strong and many of Hāmākua’s small producers
are actively managing their orchards.
Waipi‘o Valley continues to be the center of Hawai‘i Island’s
wetland taro production (Figure 21). Tere are several hun
dred acres of former taro lo‘i in the valley of which only about
51 acres are in current production. Most of the taro land in
the Valley is leased from Bishop Museum who owns the largest
share of the valley foor. Tere are approximately 12 farmers
in the valley actively producing taro and 3 to 5 main growers
who produce most of the Valley’s production. Several of these
growers process their own taro into poi which is sold directly
Waipio Valley is the center of Hawai‘i Island’s wetland taro
production
62 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
to local consumers along the highway, at farmers markets, or
at local retail outlets.
Te market for taro far outpaces supply, both on Hawai‘i
Island and statewide. In Waipi‘o, the issues impacting pro
duction include damage from the invasive apple snail, a lack
of consistent labor, and periodic fooding. For the farmers
who grow taro, the motivations for continuing to farm go far
beyond simple market value of the crop. Taro is an iconic
Hawaiian staple that is tied to the roots of the culture and the
genealogy of its people. Several of the farms in the Valley are
used frequently for educational purposes to immerse students
and visitors in the power and mo’olelo of early Hawai‘i and of
Waipi‘o Valley, in particular.
Cattle ranching is the largest user of agricultural lands in the
Hāmākua district. Approximately 24% of the island’s pasture
lands are in Hāmākua, running from the coastal clifs to over
6,000 feet in elevation. Roughly 4,500 acres below the Hāmākua
Ditch are in pasture use and is some of the best pasture lands on
the Island. Te availability of stock and irrigation water from
the ditch ofers additional opportunities to improve pasture car
rying capacity in this area. Te state-owned and privately oper
ated Hawai‘i Beef Producers (HBP) slaughter house in Pa‘auilo
is one of only two certifed slaughter houses on the Island. Te
HBP slaughter facilities, and lands surrounding it, are a key
part of the infrastructure needed to increase the supply of local
grass-fed beef to markets statewide.
In 2011, Big Island Beef Producers processed 4,200 head of cattle
from local ranchers46 and have plans to increase that number
substantially. Key to this expansion is the construction of ren
dering facilities to process cattle waste. Te State has agreed to
fund this efort through the County of Hawai‘i Ofce of Research
and Development. Other keys to expanding the market for local
grass-fed beef in Hāmākua is the potential to use ditch water to
irrigate pasture lands in the vi
cinity of the Pa‘auilo slaughter
house to produce higher qual
ity pastures on which to graze
cattle prior to harvest.
One of last two dairy operations
in the State is located at the
southern end of the Hāmākua
District. Big Island Dairy leas
es about 2,000 acres from the
State of Hawai‘i and runs nearly
1,000 head of dairy cows. All
of this milk is sold to Meadow
Gold for packaging and pro
cessing. Big Island Dairy has
embarked on an aggressive efort to grow forage crops on both
lands in ‘O‘okala and in Onomea, South Hilo. Forage production
has helped to reduce feed costs for the dairy operation and added
roughly 100 acres of intensive farming to the Hilo to Hāmākua
coastline.
Truck farming in Hāmākua accounts for roughly 250 acres of
land use in Hāmākua. Te Hāmākua Farmers Cooperative was
set up in the mid-1990’s to enable former plantation workers to
gain access to State lands below the Hāmākua Ditch. Over the
years, Co-op members experienced a range of difculties estab
lishing new farm operations. Major repairs to the ditch and dam
age from earthquakes interrupted water fows for long periods of
time, ending the eforts of many farmers. Te ditch is now back
in operation and the Co-op (with its 60 members) is working to
settle old issues with the State of Hawai‘i and is moving forward
with plans to expand farm production on several State-leased
farm areas. Tere are also a number of small, independent farms
in the district that produce vegetables and fruit for the local mar
ket, including an emerging Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) farm in the Kalōpā area.
Tere are several small hydroponic farms in Hāmākua using
water from the ditch to produce leaf crops and fsh, primarily
perch. Production is currently small, with potential for addi
tional growth. Tere are also several foliage and fower opera
tion and scattered plantings of tropical fruit orchards Agricul
tural landowners in the homestead areas of Pa‘auilo, Kalōpā
and Āhualoa operate a range of small agricultural operations
including a goat dairy, several apiaries, in addition to tea and
cofee plantings that all contribute to the overall agricultural
production of the region.
County Lands in Hāmākua
In the early 1990’s, the County of Hawai‘i acquired 4,400
acres in Hāmākua in payment of roll-back tax liabilities from
Hāmākua Sugar Company. Initially, these lands were to be sold
to cover the outstanding tax. Public, political, and market issues
conspired to keep these
lands in County hands and
they remained idle for near
ly 20 years. Te County has
now embarked on a farm
and ranch lease program to
put these lands into more
productive use. All of the
County lands are in areas
where there is no agricul
tural water sources available.
Te ability of these County
lands to contribute to food
or general agricultural pro
duction is yet to be deter
mined. In any event, allowing
the County’s lands to be used, as opposed to standing idle, may
result in more active land management and some measure of
new farm and ranch activity on these public properties.
Figure 20: The Lower Hāmākua Ditch
80 ''65 ''
50 ''
35 ''
25 ''
100
'
'
120 ''
14
0
'
'
160
'
'
120
'
'
10
0
'
'
80 ''
100 ''
140
³
0 1 2 3 Miles1:110,000
Ditch
Tunnel
Flume
Reservoir
Gov't Land
Rainfall Inch
Honokaia Res.
Haina Res.
Paauhau Res.
Nobriga Res.
Paauilo Res.
Koiawe Intake
Alakahi Intake
Kawainui Intake
Waimea Intake (abandoned)
Lower
Hamakua
Ditch
46 Personal communication, Jill Mattos, Hawai‘i Beef Producers
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 63
³
0 0.25 0.5
Miles1:20,000 Taro: 2012 Total 51 Acres
UPOLU
KONA INTL AIRPORT fallsfalls
Kaluahine fallsKaluahine falls
NanaueNanaue fallsfalls
fallsfalls
Ipu’uIpu’u
PapalaPapala
fallsfalls
fallsfalls
fallsfalls
KakehaKakeha
Aimo’oAimo’o
HakalaoaHakalaoa
Hi’ilawe falls
WA
IPI’OVALL E Y R D
KUKUIHAELE RD
HONO K AA
Figure 21. Waipi‘o Taro Lands in Production 2010
Figure 21.
Waipio Taro Lands in Production 2010
64 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Irrigation Water
Te Hāmākua District is served by the largest surface irriga
tion system on the Island of Hawai‘i. Te Hāmākua ditch
was opened in 1910 and runs from four main intakes at the
back of Waipi‘o Valley through 23.5 miles of tunnel, ditch and
pipeline, ending just north of Pa‘auilo town. Te system was
designed to serve several plantations which used the water
primarily to drive mill operations, including washing, fume
transportation, steam production, and domestic consump
tion. In later years, water was utilized for irrigation purposes
for about 5,000 acres in the lowest elevations, the driest lands
along the northern Hāmākua Coast.
Afer the plantation shut down, agreements were reached to
set an initial cap on water taken from Waipi‘o Valley to 17
MGD, leaving signifcant portions of the fow to remain in
the stream to support other economic and biological uses. In
2010, ditch operations withdrew roughly 10 MGD from the
valley with consumption for farming and ranch purposes run
ning below 1.0 MGD47. Te ditch is highly subsidized by State
taxpayers and will remain so until there is signifcant growth
in farm operations in the region, thereby driving more active
water demand. Another likely source of water demand for
Hāmākua ditch water is the irrigation of pasture lands to pro
vide dependable forage for grass-fed cattle operations centered
around the Pa‘auilo slaughter house.
Te easement underlying the Hāmākua Ditch does not com
pletely cover the full extent of the infrastructure. Te State is
in the process of securing the legal tenure needed to manage
the ditch over the long term. Users of ditch water include both
formal, metered consumers, and others who have long-stand
ing, unofcial use of the water. Insuring that all users of the
ditch pay for the cost of its operation is an important part of
guaranteeing the long term viability of the system.
4.3.1 Hāmākua’s Contribution to Food Self-sufficiency
Te following are some key elements that drive the Hāmākua district’s contribution to food self-sufciency:
• Waipi‘o Valley continues to be the best place on the
Island to produce quality wetland taro. Land is currently
fallow and could be put into production to increase the
volume of taro and poi available to Island residents.
• Te State’s commitment to operate the Lower Hāmākua
Ditch, despite substantial annual subsidies and capital
improvement expenses, represents an opportunity for
new and existing farmers to prove the viability of the
region for sustained food production.
• Small farmer training programs are underway to build
the capacity within the Hāmākua community to take bet
ter advantage of the land and water resources the district
has to ofer
• Kamehameha Schools, the district’s largest landowner,
is taking a more active role in encouraging new pasture
management approaches in support of grass-fed beef,
and in promoting the use of its land for increased food
production.
• Te potential of Hawai‘i Beef Producers to stabilize and
build a sustainable slaughter capacity at its Pa‘auilo plant
is an important step in building a grass-fed beef industry
statewide.
• Te availability of Hāmākua ditch water to irrigate high
productivity pastures in the area could give the Hāmākua
district a particularly important role to play in the future
of the local grass-fed beef industry.
• Te availability of County lands in Hāmākua for agricul
tural leasing may ofer some new opportunities for new
farm and ranch operations.
• Te Mauna Kea and Kohala Watersheds are important
contributors to the rainfall patterns and water collection
systems that support both irrigated and un-irrigated
agriculture in the region
• Small agricultural lots in the upper homesteads like
Kalōpā, Pa‘auilo, and Āhualoa ofer the potential for new,
small-scale farming innovation and local food produc
tion.
• Te eventual harvest of eucalyptus forests in the district
may help to disconnect energy production from oil im
ports and provide a more robust agricultural land use cli
mate within the region.
47 Personal communication, Steven Dias, Hamakua ditch supervisor
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 65
4.4 North and South Hilo
Background
Te districts of North and South Hilo extend from the urban
center of Hilo to ‘O‘okala. It is one of the most agriculturally
productive regions in the County and contains key infrastruc
ture that supports agricultural production island-wide. Te
lands along the coast receive 100 to 180 inches of rain annu
ally and have supported un-irrigated sugar cultivation for over
a century. Te land experiences less wind, has less slope and
receives slightly more southern sun exposure than Hāmākua.
As a result, it is a patchwork of roughly 8,800 acres of diversi
fed agriculture that produces a signifcant amount of Hawai‘i
Island’s food supply.
Hilo’s harbor and international airport are points of entry and
export for agricultural materials and produce. Te University
of Hawai‘i at Hilo and Hawai‘i Community College are educa
tional resources for young farmers and business people who
may drive the future of the agricultural industry. Te Uni
versity of Hawai’i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human
Resources (CTAHR) is based in South Hilo with extension
service centers around the Island. Federal programs like the
US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the US Forest Service,
the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and oth
ers, all have personnel and facilities in the South Hilo area.
Te agricultural history of the Hilo coast tracks most sugar
producing regions in the State. Native subsistence farming was
replaced by modern plantation agriculture beginning in the
1860’s. Small, independent mills initially emerged and eventu
ally consolidated into larger operations. Towns, roads, railway,
and water systems were created to serve plantation communi
ties and their footprints are still visible in current settlement
patterns. One of the unique elements of Hilo’s sugar history
2009 image from DigitalGlobe WorldView-2 satellite imagery of agricultural land use in the Honomu to Hakalau area of South Hilo (USDANRCS/USGS)
is the predominance of small
independent cane growers that
cultivated their own sugar cane
on private and government lands
and then sold their crop to both
private and cooperative mills for
processing. In the 1950’s, there
were over 600 small, indepen
dent cane growers producing
cane for Hilo Coast Processing
in Pepe‘ekeo. For this reason,
the tradition of small farming
along the Hilo coast has deep
roots. Tough few of today’s ac
tive farmers are descendants of the
independent growers, the settlement pattern that underlies the
region continues to support a wide variety of small-scale farm
ing.
Crop Production
In 2012, North and South Hilo have 8,800 acres in crop produc
tion plus 12,000 acres in eucalyptus forestry and another 44,000
acres in pasture (much of which is above the forest along the
Mānā road). In general, there are three main types of food pro
ducing agriculture on the Hilo shoreline: fruit and nut orchards,
diversifed farming on small parcels, and nomadic production
that moves from place to place annually.
Te largest single crop in the region is macadamia nuts (4,300
acres) which were largely planted by C. Brewer in the early 1980’s
as part of their Mauna Loa Macadamia operation. Tese felds
have since been subdivided and sold in 10 to 40 acre lots; many
farms now have attractive homes embedded in the orchards. Te
macadamia market has been variable in recent years and many
of the small producers on the coast have had difculty fnding
a market for their nuts. In 2010, the market began
to improve and in 2012, there is a robust market for
nuts which has invigorated orchard management
island-wide.
Beginning in the early 1990’s, tropical fruit
orchards were developed on the coast on former
cane lands that were largely purchased from C.
Brewer as it sold its holdings from 1990 to 2004.
Tese orchards now contain roughly 1,300 acres
of tropical fruits such as rambutan, lychee, longan,
and star fruit. Te bulk of the commercial tropical
fruit crop is sent of-Island and sold as a boutique
product around the world. Rambutan and longan
require treatment at the irradiation plant in Puna
prior to Mainland export. Lychee production is
primarily sold within the state. Some portion of all
these tropical fruits end up in the stores and farm
ers markets on Hawai‘i Island and on the doorsteps
Lychee fruit
66 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Truck farming in Pepe‘ekeo, South Hilo
of neighbors and friends during harvest season.
Truck crops cover over 2,200 acres on the Hilo coast, making
it one of the most productive local food regions on the Island.
Farmers produce a range of vegetables, berries, sweet potato,
taro and other crops in open feld and green house settings. A
prominent farm on the coast is Hāmākua Springs, which owns
500 acres near Pepe‘ekeo and is one of the state’s largest produc
ers of tomatoes, banana and a range of green house vegetables.
Hāmākua Springs also leases portions of its land to other small
farmers and provides some marketing services for these and
other growers along the coast.
Most small farming is done on lands leased from private land
owners. Kamehameha Schools (KS) is one of the largest lessors
of farm land in the region to over 20 farmers. KS farmers have
one to fve year leases with some certainty that, if they operate
responsibly, they will be able to hold on to their farms and oper
ate longer term. KS is also exploring ways to include produce
from its farmers into school lunch programs at their Keaau
campus.
Study for Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii County
~
Flowers & Foliage Macadamia Nuts
3,166
\
~ --lowers & Foliage
Coffee • Macadamia Nuts
~
Dajry Specialty Crops
Diary
180
Coffee ""'
11 ~
Banana __
237
Truck Crop-
2,317
646
\
Hilo, North and South Crop Land Summary
Crop By Acre
I
-Specialty Crops
117
Tropical Fruits
1,580
UNIVERSITY
of HAWAi'l'
HILO
Figure 23. Hilo, North and South Crop Land Summary
Many Hilo farmers do not have a similar sense of leasehold
security, because many landowners are not certain about the
future of their holdings. As a result, lease terms are shorter and
farmers are not able to set up a truly diversifed farm operation.
Tis has a negative impact on the sustainability of food produc
tion on the coast.
One of the largest food crops on the Hilo coast is Okinawan
sweet potatoes with over 500 acres planted at any given time.
Tis crop is grown by Chinese and other Asian farmers who sell
to large distributors. Te crop is treated at the irradiator plant
in Kea‘au to kill a weevil that infests the corms and then shipped
to markets on the West Coast. In 2010, 11.8 million pounds
of sweet potato were irradiated prior to export. Sweet potato
production is nomadic. Farmers do not return to the same
ground year afer
Table 9. North Hilo Crop Land Acres year. Instead, they
NORTH HILO 820 (Total acres)
Banana 3
Flowers & Foliage 30
Macadamia Nuts 20
Special Crops 22
Tropical Fruits 335
Truck Crops 410
seek “virgin soil”
that is free from
nematodes that
feed on unhar
vested corms lef
g
o
d from t
ts. As v
in the groun
prior harves
a result, hundreds
of new acres are
needed annually
to support this export crop. Sweet potato farmers are like root
ginger growers— also nomadic consumers of farm land in the
1980’s and early 1990’s. Te agricultural practice of short term,
nomadic plantings is not a good land stewardship practice and
does not contribute signifcant food production to local sup
plies. Production far exceeds local consumption of the purple
Okinawan variety, and there is no efort to produce other potato
varieties.
Flower and foliage industries have a small presence on the Hilo
coast. Tere are several nursery operations that export foliage
and several hundred acres of foliage cane stock in open-feld
plantings. Specialty crops, such as hearts of palm, are grown on
several farms and sold to high-end restaurant markets across the
County. Tere is a mushroom producer in Laupahoehoe who
Sweet potato crop in upper Kaieie, South Hilo
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 69
produces an array of Table 10. South Hilo Crop Land Acres
fresh mushrooms for
local consumption
and export. Small
plantings of cacao
and cofee are emerg
ing as well. In recent
years, portions of the
fat, low elevation
land in Onomea have
produced large plant
ings of both food and
feed corn. Currently,
these felds produce feed corn for Big Island Dairy in ‘O‘okala.
SOUTH HILO 7434(Total Acres)
Banana 234
Coffee 11
Dairy 180
Flowers & Foliage 616
Macadamia Nuts 3146
Special Crops 95
Tropical Fruits 1245
Truck Crops 1907
Kamehameha Schools planted portions of their Hilo holdings
in commercial eucalyptus forestry during the mid-1990’s. Tis
added to some earlier plantings by C. Brewer from the 1970’s and
1980’s when they were exploring forestry options for some of
their cane lands under a grant from the US Department of Ener
y. Altogether, there are over 12,600 acres in eucalyptus forestry
n the Hilo coast. Te future of these plantings is not certain;
hough it is likely the trees will be harvested primarily for their
alue as fuel to drive electrical production. Larger trees may have
a future as dimensional timber or veneer, the economic viability
of that market is yet unknown.
4.4.1 North and South Hilo’s contribution to Food Self-sufficiency
• Te Hilo coast has deep arable soils, minimal adverse
wind conditions, gentle slopes, and ample rainfall to sup
port the growth of many types of food crops.
• Tere is a mix of small, medium, and large agricultural
properties on the coast that enable access to land by mul
tiple landowners and lessees.
• Te region is close to Hilo’s harbor and airport, facilitating
export and access to agricultural materials and supplies.
• Over 50,000 residents in the Hilo area provide an acces
sible market for food products both through commercial
distribution networks and less formal farmers’ markets.
• Former plantation and immigrant families who are
familiar with agricultural operations make up a signifcant
portion of the district’s population and can contribute to
its agricultural future.
• Many new residents have invested in orchard and diversi
fed operations, creating a mix of farmers and landowners
with a shared interest in agricultural production
• Land owners, like Kamehameha Schools and large farm
operations like Hāmākua Springs, support smaller farmers
in land availability and product marketing.
70 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
• Springs and stream water sources along the coast provide
supplemental irrigation and small-scale energy produc
tion to support agricultural operations.
• Te communities along the Coast have long agricultural
traditions and seek to retain their agricultural identities
and support farm activities.
• For the last 30 years, there has been very little pressure
for urban land use changes along the Coast.
• South Hilo contains a high concentration of agricultural
support services including the University of Hawai‘i and
Hawai‘i Community College that provide agricultural
training programs; the UH Extension Service providing
outreach to farmers; the new USDA Research Center to
support front edge research and problem solving; Kūlana
Foods for animal slaughter and a number of agricultural
distribution companies.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 71
4.5 Puna
Background
Te Puna district contains most of the State’s papaya industry,
much of its macadamia and tropical fruit production, and a
large portion of its foliage and fower production. It is a dis
trict with little soil and no regional irrigation system. Puna’s
agricultural success depends on ample rainfall, relatively
inexpensive land costs and a diversifed agricultural workforce
that can live afordably on water catchment and non-standard
subdivisions. Tere is also a growing portion of Puna resi
dents who are committed to living of the lands they inhabit
and practicing sustainable, organic practices to feed them
selves and their neighbors.
One of the frst commercial crops in the region was cofee,
grown in the Kurtistown and Mountain View area beginning
in the late 1800’s. Cofee was soon replaced by sugar cane.
Approximately 18,000 acres in the district, from Glenwood to
‘Opihikao, were devoted to sugar production from the 1880’s
until 1984, when Puna Sugar Company closed. Te macada
mia nut industry was Table 11. Puna Crop Land Acres established in the 1970’s
PUNA 8880 and
Aquaculture 3
Banana 200
Coffee 27
Energy 321
Flowers & Foliage 775
Macadamia Nuts 3783
Papaya 2709
Special Crops 4
Tropical Fruits 762
Truck Crops 298
has been relatively
ning since
na has a long
of tropical
oduction. Tis
small family
s with anthu
der backyard
t canopies of
rn. Today,
hundreds of
hade cloth
ses producing
riums, orchids,
self sustai
then. Pu
tradition
fower pr
began as
operation
riums un
and fores
hapu‘u fe
there are
acres of s
greenhou
anthu
and other tropical fowers.
Te foliage industry fourished in Puna from 1980 to 2000,
and has declined in recent years. Potted house plants have
been cultivated and shipped to local and mainland markets
The Puna District contains most of the State’s papaya industry.
from large green house operations around the region. Land
scape plants, palm trees, and other foliage crops nevertheless
remain a signifcant part of Puna’s agricultural palette.
In the 1990’s, several growers began planting tropical fruits
like rambutan, lychee, star fruit, and longan. Tis region
is also home to the largest grafed tree nursery in the State,
providing quality trees to commercial and backyard farmers.
Kea‘au was also the State’s largest banana producer and several
smaller growers are continuing that tradition. Other specialty
crops like noni, tea, cofee, and cacao emerge and re-emerge
on small parcels throughout the district.
Macadamia nut orchard
72 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Current Crop Summaries
Macadamia nut orchards cover about 3,780 acres in Puna.
Mauna Loa Macadamia provides a major processing facility
for its own nuts and periodically purchases nuts from local
and imported sources. Its processing plant takes macadamia
nuts from the shell to packaged candies and sold in gif shops
to visitors and locals residents. Smaller macadamia plantings
are scattered in the region on individual parcels with produc
tion sold to one of sev
eral nut processors on the
Island.
Te papaya industry is based
in the Kea‘au area with three
papaya processing facilities
that treat fruit for export
markets around the Pacifc
Rim. Production in 2011
was 11 million pounds. Approximately 65% was exported; the
remaining 35% was sold locally. Fruit fies in Hawai‘i necessitate
treatment of all fruit prior to export to the U.S. mainland: pa
paya is treated with hot water vapor to kill fruit fy larvae. An
other treatment alternative is irradiation, generated from elec
tricity. Te Hawai‘i Pride treatment facility in Kea‘au processes
a portion of the papaya crop as well as much of the tropical fruit
and sweet potato crop for mainland export.
Papayas are grown primarily by independent farmers, most of
whom work with specifc processors. Tere are also farmers
who independently grow and sell papaya. It is a three to four
year crop that is rotated through an inventory of farmable
acres so that each feld can rest for several years between plant
ings. As a result, the crop has a footprint that is substantially
larger than the amount of fruit that is planted or harvested at
any given time. Of the 6,800 acres identifed in Figure 24 and
Figure 25 as papaya lands in the Puna district, about 2,700 are
planted in papaya at any one time with the balance lying fallow
for several years at a time.
Approximately two-thirds of the Island’s papaya production
is grown in lower Puna, from Kalapana to Wa‘awa‘a. Te
primary landowners in this area, who lease to papaya farm
ers, include the Lyman Estate, Kamehameha Schools, and the
State of Hawai‘i. Te remaining third of the Island’s produc
tion is located in the Kea‘au area, largely on lands owned by
W.H. Shipman Estate. Tis split of production areas helps to
stabilize production by spreading the crop over several difer
ent weather patterns.
Papaya producers have confronted an array of agricultural
and market issues over the years. An infestation of the ring
spot virus threatened to decimate the industry in the 1990’s.
A genetic modifcation to the Solo papaya DNA led to the
virus-resistant Rainbow variety, which has become a major
commercial brand. Tis genetic modifcation helped to save
Flowers and foliage crops can
be successful on small parcels of
land less than an acre in size
the industry, but also cost it access to important markets,
such as Japan, who have substantial market restrictions on
genetically-modifed crops. In 2012, Japan announced that it
will begin accepting genetically-modifed papaya. It will take
several years for the industry to rebuild this market. Local and
national resistance to GMO agriculture is an ongoing issue for
the papaya industry, as is the rising cost of fertilizer and other
crop inputs.
Te fower and foliage industries have an important role to
play in the Puna region. Tere are 775 acres of foliage and
fower production in the Puna area. Tis includes both
greenhouse and open feld agriculture. Orchids, anthuriums,
and potted plants are most ofen grown intensively under
shade cloth or in greenhouses while tropical fowers, foliage
cane stock, palms and other landscape species are grown in
open felds. Te State operates two agricultural parks which
are primarily used for this kind of agriculture, one near Pahoa
and the other, just outside of Puna in Pana‘ewa. Kapoho and
Kurtistown also host
concentrations of foliage
and fower operations on
private lands. Tis form
of agriculture can be
done on small parcels of
less than an acre in size,
making it well adapted to
Puna’s extensive agricul
tural subdivisions. Puna
has a mix of both large
and small-scale opera
tions, and there are networks of producers that work collab
oratively to move product from farm to market. Te proxim
ity of the harbor and airport facilities in Hilo is essential to the
ability of this sector of agriculture to sustain a presence in the
global export market.
Tropical fruit is a relatively new piece of Puna’s agricultural
system. Rambutan, longon, lychee, and star fruit are just a few
of the many species that are grown on about 750 acres across
the region. Any fruit that is exported to the U.S. mainland is
treated for fruit fies at the Kea‘au irradiator plant. In 2010,
this facility treated 316,000 pounds of rambutan, 247,000
pounds of longan and 7,600 pounds of lychee48. Exports to
Canada do not require this treatment, so these additional
exports are not refected in these fgures. Rambutan is remains
a seasonal crop while new cultural practices for longan can
result in year-round production. Te lychee crop is seasonal
and is consumed almost exclusively within the State.
Plant It Hawai‘i Nursery in Kurtistown has been a leader in
providing grafed fruit trees for the statewide market, produc
ing between 60,000 to 90,000 trees annually49. A growing
48 Personal communications, Eric Weiner, CalAvo
49 Personal communications, Susan Hamilton, Plant It Hawaii
Study for Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii County
Upper Puna Crop Land Summary
Specialty Crops
Truck Crops 4
Papua'a Bay 271""' /
Flowers & Foliage
472 "
Tropical Fruits_
426
Energy_
321
Banana I
200
Papaya
982
I
Crops By Acre
tv
I
Macadamia Nuts
3,568
I
HILO
Figure 24. Upper Puna Crop Land Summary
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii County
¬«137
¬«132
¬«130
Pohoiki Bay
Nanawale Bay
Cape Kumukahi
Wai'opae (ponds)
Kapoho Bay & Fishpond
Hawaiian Beaches
Pahoa
Leilani Estates
Nanawale Estates
100 '
'
120 ''
140 '
'160 ''
18
0
'
'
80 ''
50
0
1000
1500
200
0
1500
³
0 1 2 3
Miles 1:80,000
Aquaculture
Flowers & Foliage
Macadamia Nuts
Papaya
Tropical Fruits
Truck Crops
Papaya Fallow
State Ag Parks
Rainfall Inch
Elevation Contours
Aquaculture
3
Crops By Acre Truck Crops
27Tropical Fruits
336
Macadamia Nuts
215
Flowers & Foliage 303
Papaya Fallow
4,093
Papaya
1,727
UPPER
P
U
NARD
KALAPANA-KAPOHOBEACH RD
G
O
V
E
R
N
M
E
N
T
B
E
A
C
H
R
D
KAO
H
E
H
O
M
E
ST
E
ADRD
KALA
P
A
N
A
-
K
A
P
O
H
O
B
E
ACHRD
K
A
M
A
I
LI
R
D
PAHOA-KAPOHORD
RAILROAD
A
VE
P A HOA-
K ALAPA
N
A
R D
P
O
H
OIKIR
D
3Crops
7
Figure 25. Lower Puna Crop Land SummaryFigure 25.
Lower Puna Crop Land Summary
A growing portion of the tropical fruit tree market is in the retailing of fruit trees to individual landowners
portion of the tropical fruit tree market is in the retailing of
fruit trees to individual landowners who plant small stands of
fruit trees for home and neighborhood use. Tis decentralized
form of farming rarely shows up on any tally of food production
and is a growing segment of the Island’s local food supply. nd is
a growing segment of the Island’s local food supply.
Puna supports 200 acres of banana production, a small amount
of cofee, and about 300 acres of truck crops. Small farmers
on W.H. Shipman lands, in the Volcano area, and scattered
elsewhere throughout the district, produce dry land taro, pota
toes, pineapples, tomatoes, strawberries, and an assortment of
vegetables that are primarily sold to the local market through
retailers and farmers markets. Tere is also a growing amount
of small backyard gardening and subsistence agriculture done
in the vast agricultural subdivisions where residents have ample
land to contribute to their own food self-sufciency.
A private venture is growing jatropha on 300 acres near Kea‘au.
Te jatropha bean is high in oil content and can be processed
into a biofuel. If yields are sufcient and harvesting practices
can be perfected, this new crop could be expanded to aid in
the State’s drive towards energy self-sufciency. Tere are also
several aqua cultural ventures in the district, including one that
produces oyster fry for export to commercial producers around
the country.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 75
Farms in Upper Puna, from Mountain View to Volcano are
scattered broadly. Tere is a cluster of small farms at the back
of Wright Road in Volcano Village that has a long history of
truck farm and fower production. Te number of active farms
in the area has fallen in recent years but there are several small
farms producing red potatoes and other truck crops that are
not grown elsewhere on the island. Proximity to the Kilauea
Volcano and its volcanic emissions has had a negative impact
on some crops in recent years but there is signifcant potential
in this upper elevation micro-climate to produce food varieties
that don’t grow well elsewhere.
Like all agricultural areas in the State, Puna is susceptible to
invasive species and new diseases that can seriously under
cut agricultural production. Te Red Fire Ant has negatively
impacted the fruit and tropical fower industries while fruit fies
and viruses such as the Ring Spot virus, cause damage to the
papaya crop. An array of other diseases challenges growers to
stay just steps ahead of major crop loss.
Puna’s Small Agricultural Lots
Underlying most of Puna’s agriculture is a land settlement
pattern that was shaped by the subdivision of both public and
private lands into some 40,000 parcels from ½ to 50 acres in
size. Although this rather unplanned parcelization presents
challenges for modern land use and infrastructure develop
ment in the region, it also ofers a rich opportunity for small
landowners to participate in farm activities and to fourish or
fail without seriously impacting the vitality of the diversifed
production of the region as a whole.
Figure 26 shows a portion of the Puna district and the parcels
three acres and below which currently receive a benefcial agri
cultural use assessment value from the County of Hawai‘i Real
Property Tax Division. Te large, sub-standard subdivisions,
including Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Acres, Fern For
est and others, are of sufcient size to support small agricul
tural endeavors both for subsistence and small scale com
mercial farm activity. Tere is no way to be certain that all of
the properties highlighted in this fgure are currently making
a meaningful contribution of the Island’s food self-sufciency,
although the potential for small-lot, decentralized agricultural
productivity is apparent.
76 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
4.5.1 Puna’s contributions to food self-sufficiency
• Production of the majority of the papaya consumed in
the state, occurs in Puna
• Tropical fruit production generates a variety of new
products in the local market place
• Small truck farms produce a range of vegetable and
starch crops for local consumption
• Production of fowers and landscape materials help to
support Hawai‘i’s global tropical image and are used in
landscaping of resort properties island wide.
• Papaya and Tropical Fruit treatment facilities in the
Ke‘eau area support the continuation of fruit production
in the region.
• Extensive agricultural subdivisions in Puna provide
small landowners with an opportunity to grow their own
food and to explore agricultural production at a scale
that a family can support.
• Land and housing prices are more afordable in Puna
than anywhere else in the State. Tis is a competitive
advantage for farming and helps to secure a work force
than can live more afordably than they can in other
areas.
• Subsistence farming is a way of life for some Puna
residents. Tere are networks for small farmers working
to manifest sustainable, decentralized and ofen organic
approaches to local food production.
• W.H. Shipman Estate is a large landowner with a long
term view for much of their agricultural land. Shipman’s
commitment to the future of Hawai‘i Island agriculture
helps to insure that some of the most farmable land in
the Puna district will remain in active production in the
future.
• Industrially zoned lands in the Shipman Industrial Park
ofers opportunities of value added processing and pro
vides a home for many support services that farmers in
the region require.
• Geothermal energy developed in the Puna region has
the potential of slowing the rise in Island energy prices
and could spawn new agricultural processing industries
that use excess heat from the energy production process.
Fertilizer and liquid fuels production for local use are
two possible spin-of industries.
• Plentiful rainfall and good drainage in the region sup
ports a range of food production without having to
absorb the added cost of irrigation.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 77
4.6 Ka‘ū
Background
Agriculture in the district of Ka‘ū is concentrated in the area
around Pahala and Wood Valley, with a scattering of outlying
orchards and small farms throughout the region. Ka‘ū is best
known for its macadamia nut orchards and for its emerging
cofee crop. Residents also make active use of the region’s vast,
undeveloped coastline for fshing and gathering. Hunting in
the forests of Ka‘ū also provides an important portion of the
community’s food supply.
Pahala is the location of the last sugar mill that operated
in Ka‘ū until 1993 and is the site of major macadamia nut
orchard plantings from the early 1980’s. Most of the extensive
macadamia nut planting is managed by Mauna Loa Partner
ship (MLP). Tere are two private irrigation wells on MLP
lands that provide intermittent irrigation to the trees to insure
production during periods of drought. Tere is a total of 5,000
acres of macadamia nuts in the Ka‘ū region.
Following the closure of Ka‘ū Agribusi
ness, former sugar workers and their
families pioneered an emerging cofee
industry based in the Pahala area. Work
ers were ofered short term leases to
undivided lands in 1992 on which most
planted cofee. Tis group of 40 farm
ers has held on to their cofee dreams for
nearly 20 years, much of that time with
little or no certainty of their land tenure.
Today, there are approximately 55 cofee
farmers in the region and Ka‘ū Cofee
has achieved high standings in recent international cupping
contests and is a growing contributor to Hawai‘i’s boutique
cofee marketplace. Expansion of Ka‘ū cofee production is
likely and will depend in part on existing farmers’ ability to
secure improved leasehold tenure for their farms. Tere is also
potential for a larger, even mechanically harvested, cofee crop
in the Pahala area with the right combination of lands, people,
and investment capital.
In the late 1990’s Kamehameha Schools (KS) dedicated most
of their former cane lands in the Pahala area to the produc
tion of roughly 3,000 acres of commercial eucalyptus forestry.
Te market for this type of forest product is still uncertain
and the tree stands have been adversely impacted by drought
and vog from Kilauea Volcano. KS manages the bulk of its
Ka‘ū holdings in a number of small pasture operations and is
exploring other types of forestry on these lands. Te Edmond
Olson Trust, one of the largest buyers of former C. Brewer
land in the region, has provided important new investments
in agricultural operations in Ka‘ū. Tey have planted roughly
500 acres of new macadamia orchards and constructed nut
husking facilities and a cofee processing operation along
Transmission line leading from perched springs in the Ka‘ū forest to Keaīwa Reservoir above Pahala (Photo by Ron Terry)
Wood Valley Road. Tese facilities will provide new op
tions for Ka‘ū farmers. Te Olson Trust has joined with the
State and County to put new investment in the collection and
delivery of perched water from spring
Table 12. Ka‘ū Crop Land Acres sources above the former cane line in the
Ka‘ū Forest Reserve. Te Trust has also
spearheaded the refurbishing of Noguchi
Tunnel and roughly a dozen other small
spring sources, along with transmission
and reservoir improvements on what is
called the Keaīwa-Noguchi water system.
As this new investment comes online, the
availability of surface water for truck farm
irrigation, processing, and hydro-energy
production will contribute to new agri
cultural momentum within the region.
Tere are a small, but growing number of truck farmers in the
Pāhala area that produce vegetables for the local market. Te
Hester Farm above Pāhala draws water from Alili Springs to
serve about 30 acres of diversifed food production. Other
farmers on Olson land are serviced by the Noguchi springs
and other sources located above Wood Valley. Te availabil
ity of low cost, gravity-fed water will enable these farmers to
utilize Ka‘ū’s fertile soils and favorable growing conditions,
without being as susceptible to the droughts that the region is
known for.
Te cattle industry plays an important role in the use of Ka‘ū’s
agricultural lands. Larger ranches, such as Kapāpala and
Kuahiwi in addition to a variety of smaller operations, produce
both beef and goats for local consumption. Kuahiwi Ranch
has worked hard to develop local grass-fed beef , which has
achieved some statewide market acceptance. Ka‘ū ranches also
ship calves to the mainland for fattening and slaughter.
Recent proposals to produce biofuels from cultivated grass
species grown in the Pāhala area may have an impact on Ka‘ū’s
agricultural future. If successful, the biofuels operation would
KA‘Ü 6100 (Total
acres)
Coffee 582
Flowers & Foliage 17
Macadamia Nuts 5032
Special Crops 43
Tropical Fruits 243
Truck Crops 182
78 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
use as many as 10,000 acres in the region to grow one or more
species of grass to be converted to liquid fuel. Such a use may
ofer new employment and economic opportunities for the
people of Ka‘ū. It may also compete with some of the cattle
operations and emerging agricultural activity. Te future of
this option is uncertain at this time.
Irrigation Water
Historically, Ka‘ū sugar opera
tions were unirrigated. Tere
are, however, several dozen
springs that were developed just
above the mauka cane line at
approximately the 2000’ eleva
tion that were historically used
for fuming cane and providing
wash water for mill operations.
Kapāpala Ranch uses Makakupu
Spring for stock water, which
it pumps more than 12 miles
north of Wood Valley to remote
pastures near the National Park
boundary. Te County Depart
ment of Water Supply (DWS)
uses two springs (Hā‘ao and Mountain House) to provide do
mestic water to Nā‘ālehu nu. Alili Springs, located above Pāhala,
was a source of domestic water for Pāhala residents until 2007,
when it was replaced by a deep well. Alili Springs is now used to
support truck crop operations above Pāhala.
Te future of these water sources is now in the hands of the
State’s Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), which
holds the State license to use the spring sources. Te ADC in
tends to sub-lease the use of these sources to individual farmer
cooperatives, which will be given the responsibility for upkeep
and operation.
Tere is estimated to be three to fve MGD in spring fow above
Pāhala town. Reconditioning old springs and improving de
livery and storage systems will insure a signifcant, yet modest,
amount of low-cost water to support sustained food production
in the Pāhala area. Tis will require new investment to clean out
the springs and replace water transmission lines to make them
serviceable. High level storage at Keaīwa Reservoir is another
key water asset that can extend the value of high level spring
water to support new farming activities.
Volcanic Impacts
Ka‘ū has borne the brunt of several years of vog from Kilauea
Volcano. High sulfur and other chemicals in the volcanic smoke
have a tendency to hang in the air against Mauna Loa and build
up in high concentrations in Ka‘ū. Tis has health impacts on
people and has a negative impact on several types of farming.
Several fower growers have lost, or nearly lost, their production
Intake pipe inside Noguchi tunnel above Wood Valley
capacity, portions of the eucalyptus plantings have died, and
ranchers are experiencing health issues in their livestock plus
rapid deterioration of their metal fencing. Tese are prob
lematic issues which have no simple solutions. Government
assistance for drought and natural hazard mitigation are part of
the near term solution, while continued persistence at the farm
and ranch level, is essential.
4.6.1 Ka‘ū’s Contribution to Food Self-sufficiency
• Upper elevation ranch lands nearest to the Ka‘ū forest
reserve provide sustained pasture for local beef produc
tion. Lower lands provide productive seasonal pastures
when there is sufcient rainfall.
• Perched water springs at upper elevations provide an
important source of gravity-fed water for both ongo
ing and new agricultural endeavors. Recent public and
private investments in these water sources, as well as
their transmission and storage infrastructures, is key to
promoting additional food and export crop growth in
the region.
• Assistance from the Agricultural Development Corpo
ration (ADC) in securing organized use of agricultural
water sources is an important frst step toward coopera
tively-managed systems led by local users.
• Te Ka‘ū Forest Reserve provides over 80,000 acres of
native forest watershed for the region and helps to insure
rain and spring water over the long term.
• Unlike Kona or other post sugar cane regions, Ka‘ū’s real
estate market for larger parcels of agricultural properties
has yet to result in high end lot sales. Several landown
ers are poised to make agricultural land are reduced
because of vog and other market conditions, which has
slowed the almost inevitable break up of large parcels
into smaller agricultural lots.
• Ka‘ū has a local work force with a plantation tradition
and few non-agricultural job opportunities exist in the
region. Tis is a potential asset for any new agricultural
venture.
• Te major landowners in the region, including KS, Olson
and the State, are long term players with no immedi
ate exit strategy. Tis lends important stability to new
agricultural ventures.
• Export crops like macadamia and cofee are proven
crops in the region, both have opportunities for expan
sion.
• Tere is small group of new vegetable farmers in the re
gion taking advantage of fertile soil and gravity-fed water
to produce food for the local market place.
Orchards
a ~ •
UNIV[I\SITY of HAWAI'J• ~ HILO
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 79
Figure 26. Puna Small Agriculture Use, 3 acres or less
80 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
6000 ³
4500
o Kapa
p
a
l
a
R
a
n
c
h
5500 4000
5000 T
§&
& §
!
!
§§&& !!
100
'
'
120 ''
§§§
§&&&
&
!! ! !
3500
§& 250
0
!
80 ''
§&
&§
!
35
0
0
!
VALL E Y R D 3
0
0
0
WO OD
3000
20
0
0
§& !
65 '' 2000
&§ &§ !
!
D
R KAMAOA R
D
IKIA
100
0
LAKA
80 '' 50 ''
1500
D R
HAWA II B E LT RD T
35 '' NIOP H O U T
R D S
K A A L U A L U 35 '' 1000
500
25 ''
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii County
Hawaiian Ocean View
3000
Pahala
Waiohinu
Discovery Harbour
Naalehu
Macadamia Nuts
5,032
Coffee
Flowers & Foliage
Macadamia Nuts
Specialty Crops
Tropical Fruits
Truck Crops
Commerical Forestry
!&§
Existing Irrigation Systems
Springs
Rainfall Inch
Elevation Contours
Flowers & Foliage
17
Coffee
582
Truck Crops
182
0
1:135,000
2 4 6 Miles
Tropical Fruits
243 Specialty Crops
43
Crop By Acre
Figure 27. Ka‘ū Kona Crop Land SummaryFigure 27. Kau Crop Land Summary
4.7 North and South Kona
Background
Kona’s agricultural production is concentrated in a long
slender portion of the leeward slope of Hualālai and Mauna
Loa, between 700’and 2,500’ in elevation. Te lands are steep
and rocky with rainfall patterns between 40” and 70” annu
ally. Tis agricultural zone supports an array of orchard crops.
Cofee and macadamia nuts make up the bulk of the orchard
crop mix with tropical fruits, avocado, and mango,, providing
produce for both local consumption and export.
For centuries prior to western contact, the Kona district sup
ported a signifcant native population. An extensive agricul
tural feld system was established to produce sweet potato,
dryland taro and other essential crops. Large breadfruit plant
ings dotted the landscape and historic feld system improve
ments are still visible today in undisturbed areas in both North
and South Kona. Sailors aboard Captain Cook’s ship in 1779
described an agrarian landscape that stretched for miles in all
direction.
Western infuence brought new crops to the Kona region.
Cattle were an early introduction and eventually reshaped
much of the Kona landscape. Oranges were planted to feed
sailors fghting scurvy. In 1899, sugar growers tried to
produce sugar from the steep rocky felds, which lasted until
1927. Tobacco was grown commercially in Kona from 1908
to 1929 before it succumbed to a fre that destroyed process
ing and storage sheds. Cofee was introduced to Kona in 1828
and began a long history of boom and bust plantation-style
production. When large-scale cofee operations failed in the
1920’s and 30’s, they were replaced by small farms on leasehold
lots that allowed individual farmers to produce cofee using
family labor. Tis decentralization of farm production helped
to stabilize the cofee industry and laid the foundation for the
small farm lot settlement pattern that defnes land use in the
region.
Macadamia nuts were planted in small parcels in the late
1950’s. In 1962, the world’s largest macadamia orchard was
planted on the lands of Kapua in South Kona. Te MacFarms
orchard consists of 3,900 acres between 1,200’ and 2,500’ ele
vation. Smaller macadamia orchards have been planted in the
upland farms in both North and South Kona, ofen intermixed
with cofee and other orchard crops.
Orchard crops such as avocado, mangos and other tropical
fruit began appearing in commercial plantings in the 1980’s.
Tere are several orchards dedicated to just one or more of
these crops, but it is common to see these fruit tree species
mixed with cofee, macadamia and other crops.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 83
Kona Coffee is the defining crop for much of the Kona District (Photo courtesy of Greenwell Farms)
Current Agricultural Production
Kona Cofee is the defning crop for much of the Kona dis
trict. It has a global identity and the distinction of being one
of the world’s most expensive cofee varieties. Most of Kona’s
cofee is grown on fve to ten acre parcels in what is referred
to as the Kona Cofee Belt. Tis growing region extends from
Kaloko to Ho’okena between the 700 and 2,500 foot eleva
tions. Many of the producing farms contain one or more farm
residences, allowing the farmer to live on the property they
farm. Over 600 of these farms are on leasehold property from
Kamehameha Schools.
Cofee can be sold as cherry at the time of harvest or it can
be processed and then roasted for estate sales on individual
farms with direct market options over the Internet. Te bulk
of Kona’s cofee production is sold to one of three or four large
processors who fll commercial orders to cofee purveyors
around the world.
Mapping conducted as part of this study suggests that there are
roughly 4,100 acres in cofee production in North and South
Kona combined. It is difcult to get a precise number since,
in many cases, cofee is planted with other tree crops—mostly
macadamia— so it is difcult to get a frm number of planted
acreage. Tere are also many small backyard cofee plantings
that were too small to map.
Over the last 10 years there has been a signifcant amount of
new cofee planted in the Kona area, much of it in felds of
20 or more acres. New investment capital has fowed into
the Kona cofee industry from both large corporate sources
and from individuals who have bought property and invested
money in their own surroundings. Federal income tax credits
have enabled some of this new investment by sheltering in
come that is invested in agricultural endeavors. Much of the
new cofee plantings are in conjunction with large residences
to create a cofee estate lifestyle.
Labor is an ongoing challenge for cofee growers. Harvest
season requires hundreds of pickers and processors to annu
84 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
ally produce over four million pounds of parchment cofee.
Immigrant labor has been a mainstay of the industry for more
than a decade with as many as 1,000 workers, many from
Mexico, Central America and Micronesia. Providing housing
for migrant workers and meeting federal immigration require
ments are two major challenges for the industry.
Te Kona cofee industry faces some serious challenges in
2012. Although cherry prices are at an all-time high ($1.50/
lb.), the supply is impacted by the cofee borer beetle (Hypoth
enemus hampei) which burrows into the bean and renders
it useless. Extensive on-farm practices to combat the beetle
are vital and there is an equally important need to protect the
quality of the export product to preserve the brand identity
and value. Te industry has weathered many ups and downs
over the years so it will likely overcome the current challenges.
Cofee is a decentralized industry with many small producers
and several large players in both production and processing.
Collaboration within the industry ebbs and fows and is essen
tial for the long term stability of the industry.
Macadamia nuts are planted throughout the Kona Cofee Belt
in orchards of two to twenty acres in size. Many macadamia
orchards are inter-planted with cofee and other orchard trees.
Kona farms are thus increasingly diversifed, with several
types of crops. Tis strategy provides multiple sources of farm
income. Tere is a rich mix of food produced on many of the
farms in Kona though it is difcult to measure because of the
small scale of their operations and the integration of multiple
agricultural products on the same farm.
MacFarms is the largest macadamia producer in the region with
approximately Table 13. South Kona Crop Land Acres 4,000 acres in
SOUTH KONA 9122 (Total Acres)
Coffee 1759
Flowers & Foliage 46
Macadamia Nuts 5598
Macadamia Nuts/Coffee 1658
Special Crops 12
Tropical Fruits 26
Truck Crops 23
production in
South Kona. In
012, maca
amia farmers
ave several op
ions for where
o sell their nuts
s market de
and is high. In
2 o
s
k
B
r
d
h
t
t
a
m
some years, the
market is such
that farmers
have lef the nuts on the ground rather than spending money to
collect them.
Tropical fruits are planted in small orchards in Kona and are
mixed into many farms. Avocados, mangos, rambutan, longan,
dragon fruit, and other species grow well in the region with both
local and export markets.
Flower and foliage operations are concentrated in the State Ag
ricultural Park near Keāhole Airport. Tere are several plume
ria fower orchards in the district and a number of landscape
Labor costs are an ongoing challenge for coffee growers
(Photo courtesy of Greenwell Farms)nurseries that service the resort and residential markets on the
Kona-Kohala coast. Tropical landscaping with fowers, fruits,
and colored foliage is a hallmark of the Kona region and is part
of what defnes the unique Kona experience.
Vegetable crops have a relatively small footprint in the Kona
region due, in part, to the rocky nature of the soil and general
topography of the region. Tere are, however, a signifcant
number of small farms that produce a range of vegetables and
several commercial green house operations that produce toma
toes and cucumbers.
Te bee industry in Hawai‘i is based in South Kona with several
of the largest apiaries in
the State are located just Table 14. North Kona Crop Land
Acres above Kealakekua Bay.
Kona is also the largest
producer of queen bees
in the Pacifc, with sever
al companies producing
h
t
c
f
undreds of thousands
queens annually to re
ock the apiaries of bee
eepers around the world.
ees play an important
ole in pollinating Kona’s
ofee and macadamia
orchards and are also im
portant to other tropical fruit and vegetable growers.
NORTH KONA 4167
Aquaculture 159
Coffee 2389
Flowers & Foliage 90
Macadamia Nuts 749
Macadamia Nuts/Coffee 608
Special Crops 43
Tropical Fruits 73
Truck Crops 56
Cattle ranching has been a defning part of Kona’s upcountry
landscape for well over a century. In 2012, there are only a few
commercial cattle operations remaining. Several large mauka
ranches were sold or split- up among family members in the
1990’s, and are now managed with less active intent to produce
cattle. Several portions of large ranch areas in both North and
South Kona have become integrated into native forest protec
tion programs by the Nature Conservancy, the State, and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ranching is still a part of Ko
na’s identity and lifestyle, but beef production is a signifcantly
lower priority than it was during much of the 20th century.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii County
Ho'okena
Papa Bay
Kapilo Bay
Kapu'a Bay
Alahaka Bay
Honaunau Bay
Miloli'i Bay
Kealakekua Bay
Kipahoehoe Bay
Honomalino Bay
Honaunau-Napoopoo
Captain Cook
Hawaiian Ocean View
35
50
25
65
35
35
65
35 ''
50 ''
25 ''
65 ''
65 ''
35 ''
500
4000
3000
2500
3500
2000
1500
1000
4500
5000
5500
60006500
0 2 4 6 Miles
³
1:105,000
Coffee
Flowers & Foliage
Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia Nuts/Coffee
Specialty Crops
Tropical Fruits
Truck Crops
Rainfall Inch
Elevation Contours
Macadamia Nuts
5,598
Flowers & Foliage
46
Coffee
1,759
Truck Crops
23
Tropical Fruits
26
Specialty Crops
12
Macadamia Nuts/Coffee
1,658
PUUHONUA RD
H
A
L
E
P
IUL
A
R
D
KIILAE
RD
GOVERNM
E
NTRDKEALAOKEAWE
R
D
MILOLIIRD
HOOPUL
O
ARD
KAOHE
M
A
U
KA
R
D
HAWAII BELT RD
Crop By Acre
Figure 28. South Kona Crop Land SummaryFigure 28.
South Kona Crop Land Summary
Kailua
Kalaoa
Honalo
Holualoa
Captain Cook
Kealakekua
Kahaluu-Keauhou Honaunau-Napoopoo
Honaunau-Napoopoo
Oneo Bay He'eia Bay
Ma'ihi Bay
Holualoa Bay Kahalu'u Bay Kealakekua Bay
Keawakaheka Bay
35 ''
25 ''
50 ''
15 ''
65 ''
35 ''
50 ''
500
1000
1500 2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
0 1 2 3
Miles
1:83,000
Aquaculture
Coffee
Flowers & Foliage
Macadamia Nuts
Mac Nuts/Coffee
Specialty Crops
Tropical Fruits
Truck Crops
Rainfall Inch
Elevation Contours
Aquaculture
159Truck Crop
56 Tropical Fruits
73
Specilaty Crops
43
Macadamia Nuts/Coffee
608
Macadamia Nuts
749
Flowers & Foliage
90
Coffee
2,389
AHULANI
S
T
KINOULUST
MAMALAH OA HWY
MOKUAIKAU
A
R
D
KEALAOLA RD
S T.PA UL
R
D
HIENALOLI
R
D
PA
L
ANIRD
HUA L A L AI R D
HINA-LANI
S
T
BISHOPR D
ESTATE RD
AHIKAWA
S
T
QUEE
N
KAA
H
UMA
NUHWY
KE
OPUKAMAUKA
R
D
KONAWAE
NA SC
H
O
OL RD
A LII DRKUAKINIHWY
AKAMAI
S
T
HUA L A L AIR D
PALEKANA RD
KAIMIN A NIDR
KEALAKAA ST
KAUKAHOKURD
HOKUKANO RD
Crop By Acre
Figure 29. North Kona Crop Land Summary Figure 29. North Kona Crop Land Summary
³
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufficiency in Hawaii County
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 87
4.7.1 Kona’s contribution to food self-suffi-ciency
• Kona’s agricultural strength is in orchard agriculture
and is currently dominated by export crops like cofee
and macadamia nuts. Relatively small percentages of
these two crops are consumed locally, compared to the
volumes that are exported.
• Tropical fruit, avocado, breadfruit, and other tree crops
grown in Kona provide a signifcant food source for
residents and visitors. Portions of these crops are also
exported to Honolulu and elsewhere.
• Te small farm settlement pattern in mauka Kona is a
rich setting for diversifed food production. Many small
farms provide a wide range of food crops for family and
neighborhood consumption, with an increasing surplus
sold at farmers’ markets, local retailers, and specialty
restaurant markets.
• Te tourism industry in Kona helps to drive local ag
ricultural product sales and to create opportunities for
farmers to conduct agricultural tour activities on their
farms (Agro tourism). Tourism revenues and direct sales
are an important part of Kona’s rural economy.
• Tere are several commercial vegetable producers in the
region and distribution companies such as the organic-
oriented Adaptations, which collects, markets, and
distributes food to commercial outlets Islandwide.
• Kona’s ocean resources are rich and actively fshed and
gathered. Kona harbors register the largest amount of
commercial fsh catches annually and recreation fsh
ing is a signifcant source of food for Island families and
local eateries.
• Several cattle producers in the Kona area are exploring
grass-fed operations that will provide more local meat
• Te bee industry in Kona produces honey for export and
local consumption as well as queen bees for hives around
the world. It also has a systemic impact on pollination
of most crops in the region. Tis is particularly critical
due to the decline of wild hives that followed the recent
introduction of the Varroa mite and hive beetle.
• Aquaculture operations at the Natural Energy Labora
tory at Keāhole Pt. provide a small amount of local fsh,
algae, and shellfsh for local consumption. Research at
these facilities will help to expand seafood production
for local use and export.
• Kamehameha Schools plays a large role in the manage
ment of farm lands with over 600 small farm leases in
the Kona area. Teir current commitment to long term
agricultural land use helps to insure that large areas of
the Kona region will remain as productive farms.
• Chefs at many Kona resorts and restaurants make a
strong commitment to the use of local produce as Farm
to Plate cuisine. Tis provides a steady market for local
produce and expands the variety of products that the
Kona region can provide on a sustained basis. It also
educates Hawai‘i’s visitors about the value of Hawai‘i’s
agricultural sector and the unique products it produces.
• Local grocery retailers like KTA and Choicemart make
a signifcant efort to promote local foods and to work
with producers to maintain a steady supply to the mar
ketplace. Costco is also a major vendor for larger farm
operations, particularly for local fruits and vegetables..
88 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
5 Seafood Resources
Background
Coastal and open ocean waters surrounding Hawai‘i Island
provide a rich array of sea foods that are an essential part of the
Island diet. Stewardship of these ocean resources is essential
to insure that the food supplies of local waters are available for
Island residents for generations to come. Commercial, recre
ational and subsistence fshing are part of daily life for many
on Hawai‘i Island and there are important balances to be struck
between the ability to harvest food and the need to insure that
the resources, and the habitats they come from, remain produc
tive and sustainable.
With 1.3 million State residents and another 7 million annual
visitors, Hawai‘i’s oceans are a critical part of our island econ
omy: 51% of the fsh eaten locally comes from Hawaii waters50
and many families depend on the ocean for their livelihood
and/or to put food on the family table. Te current condition of
Hawai‘i’s fsheries is an issue of some debate. Clearly, portions
of the State experience adverse impacts from land use activities
that cause runof into rivers and coastal waters. Invasive species
have compromised the vitality of some coastal areas, and com
mercial and recreational harvests of some species have depleted
fsh populations. Managing Hawai‘i’s fsheries for sustained use
and enjoyment by residents and visitors is a challenge that will
require sustained efort and collaboration.
Hawai‘i Island is fortunate to be behind the curve of declin
ing fsh stocks for some species compared to O‘ahu and Maui,
where fshing pressure and development impacts are more
prevalent. Large areas of Hawai‘i Island’s coastline are inac
cessible by vehicle or have been cut-of by gates and new land
ownership patterns. Portions of the shoreline are also pro
tected by steep clifs that make coastal fshing difcult. Lack
of accessibility both protects fsh stocks and limits the ability
of local fshermen to fsh along much of the eastern shoreline.
Other portions of the shoreline are under signifcant pressure.
Commercial aquarium fsh collection has had a signifcant
impact on portions of the Kona coast and is an ongoing man
agement concern. Kona’s reputation as a fshing mecca attracts
global attention to the area’s ocean resources and drives pres
sure that would not be there from local use. Shoreline fshing
with poles, spears, and nets is a popular local pastime. ‘Opihi
and other seafood favorites are collected in volume to serve at
luaus, special gatherings and celebrations on a regular basis.
Hawai‘i Island’s ocean resources face a variety of challenges
and remain a sustainable part of the Island’s food-basket for
future generations.
50 An Overview of Seafood consumption and Supply Sources: Hawai‘i verses
U.S., CTAHR, Matthew Loke et al, March 2012, See section 2.5.5 of this study
Managing Hawai‘i’s fisheries for sustained use is a challenge that will require persistent effort and collaboration
Seafood Demand
Hawai‘i residents consume 37 pounds of seafood per capita per
year, as compared to a U.S. average of just 16 pounds51. Studies
indicate that Hawaii catches 51% of its own fsh supply, includ
ing both commercial and non-commercial sources. Te re
maining 49% of local consumption is imported, primarily from
foreign sources. Most of the imported seafood comes into the
state frozen; some of it processed into fsh sticks and other fast
food products, some in bags of shrimp and lobsters, and some
are whole fsh from international feets plying waters around the
Pacifc Rim. Imports come from wild and farmed sources and
from fsheries with their own sustainability issues.
Yellow fn, bigeye, and tuna species are the most in-demand
seafood products in Hawai‘i. Te second most-consumed spe
cies is salmon, followed by mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic
invertebrates. Mahimahi, shrimp and billfsh follow in that
order52. Te Hawaiian seafood marketplace has a range of ethnic
and socio-economic preferences. Raw seafood, including opihi,
poke, and sashimi are local favorites year-round, with seasonal
surges in demand. Pelagic species like ahi, mahimahi, ono, and
marlin are favorites in local eateries and high-end restaurants.
Bottom fsh, such as onaga and ‘ōpakapaka are always available
and demand has seasonal spikes. Reef fsh, like uhu, menpachi,
ulua, enenue and others, are caught and shared by residents who
skin dive and pole fsh for meat and the enjoyment associated
with sport fshing. Tere is no method to accurately measure
how much seafood is harvested annually from Hawaiian waters,
yet it is clear that the islands depend on the ocean and many of
its species to meet a variety of local food demands. Some of the
higher-end catch is shipped to Japan and the Mainland which
ofer strong price incentives to export seafood.
Aquaculture is another source of seafood from fresh water, fsh
51 Ibid
52 Ibid
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 89
pond, and open-ocean farming. On a statewide basis, 623 000
pounds of seafood come aquacultural sources, which amounts
to just 3% of the state’s total consumption53. Fresh water species,
particularly tilapia, are grown as part of hydroponic operations
that also produce vegetables and rely on fsh waste for fertilizer.
Experiments in open-ocean cage aquaculture have produced
some successes of of the Kona coast and there are proposals to
expand this form of fsh farming in both near-shore and open-
water areas. Although traditional fshponds on several Islands
have been repaired and restocked, they account for little in the
way of a stable food supply at this juncture. Some commercial
seaweed production is taking place on Molokai, and Hawai‘i
Island, thereby flling niche seafood markets.
Hawai‘i Island’s fshing feet is an amalgamation of serious com
mercial fshermen; commercial charter operations; part time,
subsistence; and recreational fshermen. Catch is sold to local
distributors, retail outlets, and restaurants. It is also sold directly
to consumers on the roadside, in farmers markets, and is also
shared with families and friends.
5.1.1 Measuring Ocean Resources
Tere are a variety of data sources to track the amount of
seafood that Hawai‘i consumes from its own waters. Te
State Department of Aquatic Resources (DAR) collects data
provided by licensed commercial fshermen. Tis data tracks
where fsh were landed, what species they are, and by what
method they are caught. Tis data set does provide some
sense of what commercial fshing activity takes place, though it
is hard to generalize based on the way fshing boats travel be
tween Islands to of-load their catch. It also does not account
for commercial fshermen, who harvest and sell informally
without reporting details of this portion of their total catch.
Te National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) conducts annual surveys of recreational fsher
man throughout the nation. In Hawai‘i, NOAA utilizes a
series of phone interviews with Hawai‘i residents and a team
of surveyors periodically visit boat ramps and other fshing
areas to collect data on catch, method, and ancillary concerns.
Tese surveys are used to better understand recreational
fshing practices and to inform estimates about the volume
of recreational catch. Hawai‘i is the only state that does not
require recreational fshermen to have fshing licenses, so there
is some degree of uncertainty when measuring the number of
people who fsh in these waters and to track catch data. Eforts
to improve non-commercial catch data are ongoing.
Tere is a signifcant amount of scientifc research carried out
on several major fsheries to understand the species life cycles
and habitat interaction, and to aid in setting limits on sustain
able harvest. In pelagic waters within the Exclusive Economic
Zone of the United States (200 miles of shore), organizations,
like the Western Pacifc Regional Fisheries Management
53 Personal communication, Matthew Loke, DOA/CTAHR ag economist
Council, (WPRFMC) and Western Pacifc Fisheries Council
(WESTPAC), perform continuing studies as well as monitor
ing to set limits on open ocean species and to protect non-
target species from undue impacts from commercial fshing.
Locally, research is conducted on Hawai‘i’s bottom fsh fshery
and is used to set limits for the harvest of popular species
including ehu, gindai, hapu‘upu‘u, lehi, kalekale, onaga, and
‘ōpakapaka. Bottom fshing is a signifcant commercial and
recreational fshing resource that is under increasing pressure
and regulatory oversight. Several locations on Hawai‘i Island
are designated bottom fsh fsheries management areas and
are managed by quotas with periodic closures enforced by the
State DAR.
Closer to shore, the monitoring of reef fsh populations and
the management of fshing and collection practices is conduct
ed regularly along the West Hawai‘i coast to track the impact
of commercial aquarium fsh collection. Additionally, the
University of Hawai‘i and other institutions undertake various
studies and train students to assume leadership roles in future
stewardship eforts. Many resort areas are required to moni
tor their ofshore waters annually and submit results to the
County. On Hawai‘i Island, coastal fsheries management is
focused largely on West Hawai‘i where land development and
the pressure from commercial fshing and aquarium collection
is the most pronounced. East Hawai‘i management initiatives
focus on places like Hilo Bay, Kapoho’s Wai‘opae tide pools,
and stretches of the Keaukaha shoreline.
5.1.2 Managing Hawai‘i Island’s Fisheries
Sustaining fsheries around Hawai‘i Island requires the consis
tent and collaborative eforts of a wide variety of stakeholders.
Efective resource management is most successful when there
is a shared understanding of the need to protect ocean systems
and habitats, and to do so in a cooperative fashion. From a
food perspective, a key goal should be to strive for sustain
able use of the resources and to commit to the application of
Much of Hawai‘i Island’s favorite seafood is imported from
other places
90 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
accurate information to monitor and guide adaptive resource
management. Te success of management eforts hinge on
broad community understanding that management is essential
for sustained harvest and on the need for fshermen to teach
their children how to fsh responsibly.
Te West Hawai‘i Fisheries Council (WHFC) is an example of
a collaborative initiative to manage fsheries resources. WHFC
was set up by legislative act in 1990 to provide a forum for
cooperative fsheries management between ‘Upolu Point and
South Point. It has maintained that discussion monthly for
over a decade with no formal legislative authority and very
little State fnancial support, with the commitment of active
individuals to maintain a forum for management discussion.
WHFC has helped to shepherd major management eforts
associated with the aquarium collection in West Hawai‘i and
has set up and assisted with monitoring Fish Replenishment
Areas (FRA). Over the last decade, it has managed an ongoing
dialogue about fsheries issues and dealt with ocean resource
issues in an open public forum. WHFC has proven to be a
model organization for other regions who want to focus a col
lective efort on doing what is right for the ocean environment
and its many diferent users. Together with fshery regula
tions, enforcement, and responsible compliance, management
initiatives such as WHFC are building blocks for sustainable
Island fsheries.
Figure 31 displays the state of current ocean resource manage
ment on Hawai‘i Island. It depicts various types of manage
ment areas and preserves already in place to protect species
as diverse as humpback whales, bottom fsh, and reef species.
Each of these areas has their own enforcement challenges and
eforts are made to educate the public about the need to act
responsibly to ensure that these fsheries are used responsibly.
Te map also locates public boat ramps and fsh aggregating
buoys that are part of the public infrastructure that enables
ocean use and promotes the collection of fsh for Island
consumption. Te combined goals of use and protection are
at the heart of long term sustainability in Hawai’i’s fsheries
resources.
Figure 30 also highlights several community-based resource
initiatives that refect emerging, place-based coastal manage
ment eforts. Milolii’s Subsistence Fisheries designation, near-
shore management eforts at Ka‘ūpūlehu and Kiholo, and work
by Kalapana residents along the National Park shoreline are
examples of community-based eforts that are on the leading
edge of a growing trend toward locally-infuenced stewardship
for coastal areas on Hawai‘i Island. Tese initiatives involve
the people who are most intimately connected to and depen
dent upon these resources.
5.1.3 Building an Ethic for Ocean Use
One of the greatest threats to long-term fshery resources
is the loss of a collective memory about what healthy ocean
resources looks like. As each generation adapts new tech
niques and technologies to harvest a decreasing fsh supply,
the baseline shifs and individuals forget what a healthy system
looks like. One of the great benefts of the Northwest Pacifc
Islands (NWPI) is that it protects an extensive ocean system
that is still pristine. Its teeming sea life, with schools of apex
predators like sharks and ulua, is an example of the charac
teristics of a vibrant ecosystem and ofers a basis to assess the
health of near-shore waters. Hawai‘i is not likely to ever revert
to the pristine state of the NWPI, nor can it be content to let a
declining ocean resource become the accepted norm.
Tere are many organizations in the state committed to ocean
resource protection and are working to insure viability for
Figure 30: Division of Aquatic Resources commercial fish catch data Hawai‘i Island 2001-2010 (pounds)
Fishing responsibly for future generations. (Photo courtesy of Orion Enecencio)
future use. Tere
is also a wide ar
ray of State and
Federal regula
tions and rules in
place to set fshing
limits, control
fshing methods,
minimize land use
impacts, mitigate
runof and to stem
the fow of invasive
species. Money for
enforcement and
monitoring is never
adequate and there
are global climate
issues that are likely
to complicate ocean
resource manage
ment issues. Tere
is also a new wave
of young students
graduating from
college marine science programs locally and around the coun
try, schooled in marine science and new methodologies that
can record and monitor the condition of the ocean’s resources.
Many of these students have a unique Hawaiian perspective
and are working to integrate cultural methods and sensitivities
into the science and practice of resource management. Tis
new generation of resource managers potential bodes well for
the future.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 91
Te scale of the oceans is daunting and the demand for fsh
and the impacts of modern life on fsheries is increasing at
an alarming rate, both in Hawai‘i and around the world. If
Hawai‘i Island expects to be able to rely on its surrounding
ocean for part of its basic food self-sufciency capabilities, it
must make a concerted management efort. Tis is a multi
faceted challenge and requires the participation of many
people.
For this most important role, Lawai‘a Magazine and the Pacifc
Island Fisheries Group (PIFC) ofers some very good recom
mendations under the umbrella of a simple creed, “Fish Today
for Fish Tomorrow.”54 Te emphasis is on taking personal
responsibility for how each of us engages the ocean so that
future generations will learn to know and love the ocean and
learn to live with the bounty it can supply. Said simply, the
PIFG suggests the Fisherman’s “Pledge for the Future” which
includes:
• Learning and following fshing laws and regulations
• Taking only what is needed and practicing “catch and
release” of fsh that are unwanted or prohibited
• Practice safe fshing principles and safety at sea
• Engaging in the rule making process
• Being respectful of other resource users
• Being knowledgeable and respectful of all natural re
sources
• Property disposing of trash
• Setting a good example for others to follow, walking the
talk. Good fshing, conservation practices and fellowship
are infectious.
54 Lawai‘a Magazine, December 2011, published by Pacifc Island Fisheries
Group
92 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
! !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!(
!(
!(
!(
!(
!(
!(
!(
!(
!(
!(
!(
!(
!.
!.
!.!.
!.
Puako Ramp
Kailua-Kona
Keauhou SBH
Kawaihae SBH
Pohoiki Ramp
Honuapo Pier
Kaulana Ramp
Honokohau SBH
Kawaihae North
Kawaihae South
Kauhako Landing
Milolii Landing
Napoopoo Landing
*North Kohala Ramp
Wailoa Sampan Basin and SBH
Kiholo
Hookena
Milolii
Kalapana
Kalaemano
Marine Life Conservation District
Fisheries Management Area
Fisheries Replenishment Area
West Hawaii Fisheries Council
Bottomfish Restricted Fishing Area
'Opelu Fishing Bait Restriction
HVNP Fishery Restriction
Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary
!. Community Stewardship
!( Harbor
! Fish Aggregating Devices
0 10 20
Miles
³
1:865,000
Figure 31. Hawai‘i Island Marine Management AreasFigure 31.Hawaii Island Marine Management Areas
6 Recreational and Subsistence Hunting
For many local residents of Hawai‘i Island, hunting is an out
door recreational activity that also plays an important role in
putting food on the family table. It is difcult to measure the
exact contribution of hunting to the Island’s food supply but
it would be inappropriate not to mention the contribution of
hunters in the context of a food self-sufciency baseline study.
Feral pigs, sheep, and goats comprise the largest portion of the
wild meat supply on the Island. Tis, along with a number of
game birds species (including pheasants, turkeys, chuckar, and
quail), supplements the annual meat consumption of Island
residents.
Public hunting takes place on State lands that have been des
ignated as Game Public Hunting Areas as displayed in Figure
3355.
Hunters must have State hunting licenses and, technically,
are required to report their results at unstafed hunter check-
in stations. A summary of reported hunting results from all
State hunting areas, provided by the Division of Forestry and
Wildlife (DOFAW), is summarized in Figure 32.
Figure 32: Mammals taken from State lands on Hawai‘i Island FY 1999 to FY 2011 (Source DOFAW)
Harvest from public lands varies from year to year based on
many variables; the amount and timing of rainfall; grazing
conditions; hunter eforts, etc. Te increased harvest of mou
fon sheep from fscal year 2009 to fscal year 2011 appears
to refect management mandates to remove moufon from
the slopes of Mauna Kea to protect the habitat of endangered
birds. Te number of moufon harvested on Mauna Kea will
likely decrease signifcantly in coming years, as eradication
eforts proceed.
55 Data from DLNR DOFAW
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 93
Taken together, the recorded feral mammal
catch from public lands and a conserva
tive estimate of 5000 additional pigs caught
outside of the State hunting areas amount to
413,000 pounds of meat in the Island food
basket from hunting activities alone, the
approximate meat equivalent of 910 head of
cattle annually.
Hunting also takes place on private properties and ranges
from high end gun clubs with international clientele, to local
residents hunting in orchards, farms, and pastures to reduce
the damage from feral animals on truck crops and macadamia
orchards, in particular. Feral pig populations have increased
substantially in some communities and forested areas. Con
tracted hunting and trapping, along with outlaw hunting and
unmonitored trapping of pigs occurs islandwide. Tere is no
easy way to track all of the hunting that takes place on Hawai‘i
Island. It is clear, however, that unrecorded pig hunting,
in particular, occurs islandwide and that it far exceeds the
roughly 400 pigs that are reported annually from public hunt
ing lands, perhaps by a factor of 10 to 20 times.
Feral sheep and goats may weigh
between 50 and 100 pounds with a
net dressed weight of approximately
30 pounds of meat. Wild pigs are
ofen larger, weighing between 50-200
pounds apiece. When dressed out, feral
pigs produce closer to 50-60 pounds of
meat. In fscal year 2009-2010, there
were 4,839 sheep and goats reportedly
harvested from public hunting areas.
Assuming a conservative average of
30 lbs. of meat per animal, this would
equate to 145,170 pounds of meat.
Add 357 feral pigs at 50 pounds each
(17,850 pounds) for an estimated total
of 163,000 pounds of meat taken from
public hunting lands in a one year
period.
Pig hunters and land owners interviewed during this study
suggest that the number of pigs harvested from private lands
and farms around the Island far exceeds what is recorded from
designated public hunting land. Estimates range from 4,000 to
8,000 additional pigs killed annually on Hawai‘i Island. Based
on a 2004 mail survey to hunters conducted with 1,298 hunt
ers statewide, DOFAW’s state hunting coordinator estimates
that as many as 10,000 pigs were harvested and not recorded
statewide for that year56. For the purposes of this study, we
estimate that 5,000 additional mature pigs (100+ pounds each)
56 Ed Johnson, DLNR Hunting Coordinator, pers. comm., Feb 26, 2012
94 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
«200
«19
«11
«190
«250
«137
«270
«130
«132
«180
«160
«220
«27
«130
«19«190
«19
«130
Hilo
Volcano
Kailua
Kalaoa
Waimea
Honalo
Mountain View
Honaunau
Hawaiian Ocean View
Holualoa
Waikoloa Village
Captain Cook
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Kealakekua
Kurtistown
Keaau
Pahoa
Leilani Estates
Ainaloa
Naalehu
Hawi
Discovery Harbour
Laupahoehoe
Papaikou
Wainaku
Honokaa
Paauilo
Pahala
Pepeekeo
Honomu
Waipi'o
Reserves
Public Hunting Areas
³
0 10 20
Miles1:800,000
Hawaii Island Public Hunting Areas
Figure 33. Hawai‘i Island Public Hunting Areas Figure 33.
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬¬
¬
¬
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 95
were taken and not recorded through the DLNR hunter sta
tion system. Using a conservative value of 50 pounds of meat
per pig, this would produce 250,000 pounds of meat. Add this
number to the public lands estimate above and hunting could
account for a total 413,000 pounds of wild meat annually in
local freezers and on dinner plates. Divide this number by
450 pounds, which is an estimated yield of a full-sized steer at
slaughter, and this wild meat harvest is the equivalent to the
amount of meat produced by harvesting 910 head of cattle per
year. Most of this meat is dispersed to family freezers around
the Island while some is smoked or made into sausage for
home use. Tere is also a small commercial demand for wild
pig meat. It appears on some resort restaurants and in KTA
stores as smoked wild boar. Wild pig meat that is sold com
mercially must be captured in the wild and killed in a certifed
slaughterhouse, the same as any other inspected meat product.
Under certain conditions, feral ungulates
of all kinds are known to have a negative
impact on native species and the quality of
the Island’s watersheds. Conficts between
resource managers and hunters have fared
repeatedly over the past several decades
as more land, particularly in native forest
areas, is fenced to exclude feral animals.
Maintaining areas for public hunting is the
responsibility of the Division of Forestry
and Wildlife. Tis is a kuleana that DOFAW
managers must balance with their responsi
bility to steward Hawai‘i’s watersheds and to
protect native plant and bird species.
Game birds also produce a substantial
amount of meat for local families. Te num
ber of birds shot each year varies signifcantly
based on the amount and timing of rainfall,
habitat conditions in portions of the Island
where hunting is permitted, and a number
of other factors. Due to poor habitat condi
tions in recent years, primarily due to lack of
rainfall, game bird harvest has been restrict
ed. Te number of birds shot has declined
and is refected in the summary numbers
provided in Figure 34.
Hunting may not be the most efcient meth
od to secure food from a simple cost-versusassociated with hunting activities. Camaraderie, recreation, enbeneft point of view. Figure 35 displays DOFAW data related vironmental awareness, voluntary management of feral species to the average harvest of game animals per trip. Although the and sportsmanship are just some of the broader community value of the hunted meat may not be competitive with the cost benefts associated with hunting. of meat in the marketplace, there are other important values
Hunting is a part of life in rural Hawai‘i (Photo courtesy of Orion Enecencio)
Figure 34: Game Birds Harvested from Public Lands (Source DOFAW)
Figure 35: Animals harvested per hunting trip on Hawai‘i Island, (Source DO
FAW)
96 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
7 Hawai‘i Island HoneyBees
Honey bees are important to Hawai‘i Island’s food self-suf
ciency in several ways:
• Bees are pollinators of agricultural crops and contribute
to the production of several important Hawai‘i Island
crops including macadamia nuts, cofee,
tropical fruit and certain types of truck
crops, such as melons and squash. Te
farm gate value of honey bee-pollinated
produce in Hawai‘i exceeds $218 million
per year.57
• Beekeeping provides commercial and
backyard honey production for both lo
cal and export sales. Hawaiian honey is
some of the most sought afer and valued
honey on the global market, estimated at
more than $1 million per year.
Queen bees are bred in and sold commercially
from South Kona to support pollination and
agriculture in Canada and the mainland United
States. Hawai‘i is one of the largest producers
of queen bees in the world and its unique year
round temperate climate can produce queens
at times when they are most needed to repopulate commercial
hives elsewhere in the world.
Historical Background
Honey production in Hawai‘i dates back to 1857 when the frst
bee hives were successfully shipped to O‘ahu from the west
coast of the U.S. Te frst commercial venture began in 1895,
with the frst export of honey and beeswax occurring in 1897.
Within several decades, Hawai‘i’s mild climate and year-round
fowering plants proved to be a good place to produce honey
commercially. Early production was primarily an export crop
and much of it was shipped to Germany and the U.S. main
land. Te next large growth of the beekeeping industry was
spurred on by ranching interests, including Parker and Hind
Ranches. Te large kiawe forests on the leeward coast required
pollination to produce kiawe beans as high nutrient feed for
cattle.58
In 1907, the frst association of beekeepers was organized to
advance the interests of the emerging industry. One of its frst
acts was to work with the Territory to end the import of new
bees to Hawai‘i as a protection from bacterial diseases which
were devastating beekeepers in other regions. American Foul
57 Number provided by DOA bee staf
58 A History of Honey Bees in the Hawaiian Islands, posted on Hawai‘i Bee
keepers Website: http://www.Hawaiibeekeepers.org/history.php
Kiawe forests are desired for gourmet honey production
Brood attacks developing bee broods and requires destruction
of infected hives to prevent further spreading of the disease. It
was accidentally introduced to Hawai‘i in 193059. Te impacts
of the disease, coupled with the collapse of honey prices dur
ing the Great Depression, resulted in the end of the industry
by about 1935, followed by a slow rebuilding period.
Honey production on Hawai‘i Island eventually grew to in
clude ohi’a lehua, macadamia nut, Christmas berry, and other
plant species. In 1970, the largest honey opera
tion in the Islands was located in Pu‘uanahulu
in North Kona. In 1973, this operation was
bought by a major national honey producer,
Powers Apiaries Inc., and moved to Kealakekua
in South Kona. Te area around Kealakekua
Bay remains the center of economic beekeeping
operations on the Island and is one of the larg
est in the Pacifc Basin.
Products from the hive take several forms.
Tere are several large producers that export
honey in large volume containers to markets
in the U.S. and elsewhere. Others market
smaller value-added products for both local
consumption and export as specialty Hawaiian
products. Honey producers also sell beeswax,
a by-product of honey harvests. Yet one of the
most valuable products of Hawaiian beekeeping
is the production of queen bees. Queens are
bred and reared for shipment to honey produc
ers internationally, to increase hive numbers and maximize
productivity in the early spring as crops requiring pollination
come into bloom around the world.
Native Bee Species
Tere are 62 known species of native bees in Hawai‘i and they
occupy niches from sea level to over 10,000 feet in elevation
primarily pollinating native plants. Hawai‘i’s native bees do
not gather in hives, nor do they produce honey that could
be used for human consumption. Te quantity of native bees
is small in comparison to the number of managed bees and
several of the native species are candidates for the Federal
Endangered Species List. Certain species of native bees sufer
from loss of habitat as native plants decline. Some scientists
have suggested that competition from introduced honey bees
may have an impact on the viability of native species. More
research is needed to confrm this claim. In any event, native
bees are not as likely to pollinate the plants used as food crops,
which are also introduced species. Native bee species do not
appear to be impacted by the current suite of pests that are
impacting the commercial honey bees.
59 Ibid
Current Status
In March of 2007, the varroa mite, one of the most damaging
pests to honey bees worldwide, was frst detected on O‘ahu. By
August of 2008, it was discovered on Hawai‘i Island. It is now
widespread on both Islands and has contributed to the collapse
of many hives. Following the introduction of the varroa mite,
the Small Hive Beetle was also discovered in Hawai‘i. Together,
these two new pests, a gut parasite, and several viruses that are
vectored by the mite, have produced a crisis in the bee indus
try that is certain to reshape the practices and viability of both
the commercial and backyard beekeepers statewide. Managed
and feral hive counts have fallen dramatically in recent years
and the amount of time and expense to manage healthy hives,
and to keep them alive, has increased substantially. Growers,
who paid no mind to pollinators, now notice a silence of their
blooms; where there were many bees, there are now few or
none.
Te NASS 2007 Census on Agriculture indicated that there
were 161 beekeeping operations on Hawai‘i Island with 13,240
hives producing 764,963 pounds of honey. Te value of com
mercial honey sales at the national average of $1.50 per pound
is approximately $1,147,000, although most Hawaiian bee
keepers sell their honey at a premium, as a value-added prod
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 97
uct, usually for $5 to $40 pound. Beeswax and queen sales are
in addition to these honey sales, and may at least double that
value. Statistics on non-honey revenures are not available due
to proprietary protections for the small number of producers.
Figure 36 provides a simple graphic to display the vegetation
types on Hawai‘i Island that contribute to viable honey bee
habitat. Portions of the industry utilize agricultural crops such
as macadamia and cofee farms to collect their honey; other
portions situate bee hives to take advantage of both native
and non-native vegetation during their fowering cycles. Te
red line on the map indicates, generally, where hives might be
placed on public and private lands to collect honey. Te aver
age range of a bee from the hive is approximately 2.5 miles.
Actions that would help to strengthen the role bees play in
food self-sufciency:
• Continue to fund State initiatives aimed at supporting
the bee industry and addressing the impacts of intro
duced species that threaten bee populations.
• Increase vigilance to prevent further introduction of spe
cies that threaten bee populations.
• Educating farmers to avoid the application of chemicals
on crops when the bees are most active.
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬¬
¬
¬
98 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
«200
«19
«11
«190
«250
«137
«270
«130
«132
«180
«160
«220
«27
«19«190
«19
«130
Hilo
Volcano
Kailua
Kalaoa
Waimea
Honalo
Mountain View
Honaunau
Hawaiian Ocean View
Holualoa
Waikoloa Village
Captain Cook
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Kealakekua
Kurtistown
Keaau
Pahoa
Leilani Estates
Ainaloa
Naalehu
Hawi
Discovery Harbour
Laupahoehoe
Papaikou
Wainaku
Honokaa
Paauilo
Pahala
Pepeekeo
Honomu
Waipi'o
³
0 10 20
Miles1:800,000
Honey Bee Nectar Resources
Agriculture Crops
Coffee
Macadamia Nuts
Tropical Fruits
Truck Crops
Plant Communities
Mixed Native-Alien Forest
Native Shrubland / Sparse Ohia (native shrubs)
Closed Koa-Ohia Forest
Closed Ohia Forest (hapuu)
Koa Forest (native shrub)
Mamane/ Naio / Native
Open Koa-Mamane Forest
Open Koa-Ohia Forest
Alien Grassland
Christmas Berry
Alien Forest
Closed Strawberry Guava
Kiawe Forest and Shrubland
MAUNALOA OBSERVATORY M A U N A L O A
H AWA I 'I
V O LCA N O E S N ATI ONA L PA R K
M A U N A K E A
MAUNA KEA OBSERVATORIES
H ILO I N T L AI R P ORT
BRADSHAW AAF
UPOLU
KONA INTL AIRPORT
H A W A I ' I V O L C A N O E S
H I L O F O R E S T R E S E R V E
Figure 36. Honey Bee Resources Figure 36.
Honey Bee Resources
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 99
8 Issues that Impact Increased Food Production
Te following is a list of some of the key issues that have an
impact on food self-sufciency in Hawai‘i County. Each has
its own unique impact and most of them are interrelated in
some fashion. Each deserves ongoing attention and, where ap
propriate, new policy directions to address their implications
on local food productivity.
8.1 Energy Costs
Global energy prices and has a systemic impact on the food
industry. Te costs of fertilizers, feed, equipment, transporta
tion, packaging and chemicals all increase as the cost of energy
rises. If current trends continue many local business models
will collapse under the weight of energy costs.
Te price of electrical and liquid fuel energy on Hawai‘i Island
has eroded both the capacity of farmers to produce food and
for consumers to purchase it. Tis trend will continue until
there is signifcant progress in the production of energy from
local, non-fossil fuel sources. Geothermal development, in
particular, ofers the opportunity to eventually decouple the
price of base-load energy from the rising cost of fossil fuel.
County, State, and private support is needed to move geo
thermal development forward as quickly as possible and to
insure that the benefts of lower priced energy accrue to local
residents.
Alternative energy from other sources, including farm waste,
hydro, wind and solar energy are other ways to mitigate the
rising cost of energy. Investment tax credits, low-interest
loans, and other incentives are useful to propel alternative
energy investments in farm, ranch, and processing ventures,
which will help to promote food self-sufciency. Reducing the
price of energy embedded in food production will reduce the
cost of local food, making it more competitive with the cost of
importing food.
8.2 County Real Property Taxes
Hawai‘i County Agricultural Use Rate Assessments and Agri
cultural Dedication Programs are intended to help mitigate the
cost of rising real estate values on the property taxes of farm
and ranch operators. Tese programs are the largest single
fnancial beneft ofered to the farm and ranch communities by
county tax payers and amount to over $34 million dollars in
adjusted tax collection annually. Tese tax policies are critical
for the support of bonafde agricultural operations that could
not operate if taxes were assessed based on current market
assessed values.
Te current agricultural Use Rate and Dedication programs
was initially designed to serve a type of large scale plantation
agriculture that we no longer have on the island. Te transition
from large landowners to smaller lot, diversifed ownership
presents new challenges to insure that decentralized agri
cultural uses are still occurring and accomplish some larger
public purpose. As currently implemented, these programs
have no mechanisms requiring landowners to submit periodic
evidence that productive agricultural activity is still occurring.
Te current system also assign the lowest assessment rates to
landowners who do the least amount of regular farm work on
their property by installing exterior fencing and stock water
for pasture use. Landowners who work to produce commer
cial food products for the local market are taxed at a higher
rate. It might be appropriate to update these programs so that
they incentivize landowners to seek qualifed farmers and
ranchers to increase local food production on their property.
Another option would be to consider ways that landowners
could report farm revenue annually by providing evidence
of General Excise taxes paid from agricultural activities or to
provide receipts of food donations to the Hawai‘i Island Food
Basket or other safety net programs.
Real property tax policies are clearly the biggest tool in the
County’s tool box with which to encourage new food produc
tion and to support the ongoing contribution of real farmers
and ranchers islandwide. Tere is also a complex web of issues
and politics that surround these programs that will need to be
navigated responsibly so the system can be applied islandwide
and help to shape a new era of rural land use.
8.3 Food Safety
Federal legislation and market trends conspire to lif the bar
for insuring food safety on farms and food processors. Tis is
in reaction to several recent public health incidents resulting
in the spread of pathogens in the nation’s food supply. Locally,
occurrences of Rat Lung disease resulting from snail and slug
contacts with leaf crops, has made some consumers afraid to
buy their vegetables from small local producers. Food safety
is a real issue, both nationally and locally. Large retailers are
adopting policies that require food safety certifcation from
their suppliers and have had to invest heavily in their own
food handling protocols.
Some of the food safety certifcation requirements have sig
nifcant cost implications for farmers. Capital investment in
packing facilities and strict record keeping are two major areas
of concern. Te State of Hawai‘i is considering formal food
safety regulations and there is heightened concern expressed
by many small farmers that the rules will force them out of
business.
Food Safety is an issue with far reaching implications for local
food self-sufciency. All farmers need to commit to providing
100 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
clean, pathogen-free food for the public marketplace. Retail
ers, distributors and government agencies need to work with
farmers to establish reasonable standards of cleanliness and
accountability. Consumers also need to take responsibility for
handling, washing, and preparing foods regardless of where
they come from.
New food safety regulations and the need for food producers
to adhere to best management practices is a fair expectation
for consumers. Since so much of Hawai‘i Island’s food produc
tion is done by small farmers, it will be important to have their
voice at the table as regulations are crafed and best manage
ment practices are defned.
8.4 Access to Capital
Investment capital is an essential ingredient in the expansion
and development of new food production initiatives. Com
mercial banks and other lending institutions see farming,
ranching, aqua-culture and other food producing activities as
inherently risky and seek very limited portions of their invest
ment portfolio in these sectors of the economy. Tis leaves
smaller commercial scale farmers with few options for new
capital to support business growth, address new food safety
requirements or maintain existing infrastructure. Govern
ment loans and other assistance programs fll part of the void
lef by the absence of other commercial fnancing options. A
renewed commitment by local fnancial institutions to invest
in local food production and to mentor farmers as important
community assets would go a long way to building the fnan
cial support that increased local food production will require.
8.5 Agricultural Labor
Te average age of farmers in Hawai‘i continues to increase
and there are few young people entering the feld. Tis is a
serious problem for food production in the future. Tax payers
make signifcant annual investments in University agricultural
programs and in farm outreach, yet farmer shortages persist.
Tere is a disconnect between the need for new farmers and
the ability, or willingness, of young farmers to enter the indus
try. Tis has been an issue for many years. Tere are several
innovative eforts underway to seek and retain new local farm
ers. Tere is also a need to help grow farms into enterprises
with improved mastery of their markets and the ability to
produce strategically in a competitive environment.
From an historical perspective, virtually all of Hawai‘i’s
agricultural success since the late 1800’s has been driven by
immigrant labor. Tis reliance on immigrant labor is still true
today. Most of the papaya production, macadamia feld work,
cofee picking, or truck farm labor is done by frst or second
generation immigrants. Hawai‘i needs to keep its doors open
to immigrants who want to farm and to provide outreach pro
grams in multiple languages to help them apply best manage
ment practices and thus grow their businesses.
Agriculture is a labor intensive business. Hawai‘i’s agriculture
needs a steady supply of both farm labor and entrepreneurial
leadership in order to thrive. Eforts to insure both are essen
tial elements needed to propel local food self-sufciency.
8.6 Organic and Natural Farming
Organic farming and ranching requires a commitment to
avoid imported chemical inputs and to harness the power of
natural systems to sustain soil fertility and control insects and
other pests. Tere are currently 56 certifed organic farms on
Hawai‘i Island utilizing 846 acres, plus several organic pasture
operations with another 1,200 acres60. Te Korean Natural
Farming method is another non-chemical approach to har
nessing the productive power of indigenous micro-organisms
(IMO) in soil to promote plant growth and soil health. Tere
may be as many as 100 practitioners of this approach on the
Island.
Tese farming approaches are a growing part of Hawaiian
agriculture. Tey seek to enhance soil fertility without the
importation of expensive chemical fertilizers, and to fend of
plant diseases by managing a more holistic mix of factors that
promote farm health. Organic and natural farmers practice
a high level of land and soil stewardship that can insure long
term farm productivity. Te future of organic and natural
farming initiatives on Hawai‘i Island will hinge, in part, on the
support consumers provide by purchasing organic products
and by the availability of informed farm extension services and
supporting research to aid in organic farming successes.
8.7 Price of Local Foods
Much of Hawai‘i Island’s agricultural production is sold as
boutique products to markets that have the means to pay
premium prices. Local cofees, macadamia nuts, chocolate,
vanilla, and exotic fruits are produced for high-end or export
markets. Tese are niche products to be sold to people who
can aford their boutique pricing. Other local products, like
beef and most vegetables, compete in a more competitively-
priced commodity market and must either absorb higher input
costs or charge more for their product in the local market
place.
A December 2011 study of Honolulu consumers commis
sioned by the Ulupono Initiative, found that “consumers
across O‘ahu strongly believe local food is important, they
don’t think there’s enough available; and they are willing to pay
more for local food.” Tey also found that “price is important
but not the only thing. Freshness as well as trust in local busi
60 Hawai‘i Organic Farmers Association (HOFA) website based on a sum
mary of listed certifed organic producers
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 101
nesses are also important.”61 Tis is good news for local food
producers; it suggests that there is reasonably strong consumer
support for locally produced foods, even at a small price
premium.
In a University of Hawai‘i at Hilo student study conducted
in East Hawai‘i in 2011, it was found that price diferences
between local and imported foods varied depending on the
product. In some cases, local produce like pumpkin, tomato,
and avocado were less expensive than mainland imports.
Other local products such as lettuce, carrots, and oranges were
ofen more expensive. With a relatively small sample size, it
was estimated that for 20 commonly purchased food items, the
average price diferential for local produce was approximately
17% higher than imports.62 Prices rise and fall from day-to
day, so this number will vary. Tere were also clear indications
that shopping in farmers markets in East Hawai‘i produced
the best price advantage for local produce. Taking advantage
of opportunities to buy direct from local farmers is one way to
reduce the cost of local produce.
Pricing for local food products will continue to be an issue for
farmers and consumers. Fortunately, there are values at work
in the local marketplace that place a premium on freshness,
shelf life and the benefts of supporting local businesses. Still,
farmers need to aim at market price parity and not assume
that this local advantage will persist as the price of all goods
and services continues to rise.
8.8 Consumer Preferences
Consumers are the biggest driver in the local food self-suf
ciency movement. Teir preferences help dictate what retail
ers provide. Yet most consumers have little understanding
about seasonality, for example. Consumer demand for fruits
and vegetables during of-season periods helps to secure the
role of imports and heightens competition for certain products
year-round. Te tendency to pick perfect looking produce and
avoid blemishes encourages waste and benefts large market
sources and uniform genetics. Preferences for branded and
processed foods also compete with fresh and local alternatives;
just as mainland-fattened, marbled beef competes with leaner,
healthier local grass fed options.
Te cartoon philosopher Pogo said, “We have met the en-
emy…and he is us.” Consumer preferences drive the market
place and the powerful forces of large corporate agriculture
and international food processors have invested heavily in
marketing to shape buying habits. If Hawai‘i is to become
more food self-sufcient, consumers will need to use their
61 Local Food Market Demand Study of Oahu Shoppers, Ulupono Initiative
and OmniTrak Inc. December 2011
62 A Comparison of Local and Imported Foods in East Hawai‘i Markets, Al
exander White, UHH Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences,
12/2011
food dollars wisely and ask their grocers to bring more local
products to their shelves. A stronger market for local food will
help to reshape the retail marketplace and create opportuni
ties for farmers and ranchers to play a bigger role in feeding
Hawai‘i’s residents.
8.9 Genetically Modified Organisms(GMO)
Tere is signifcant debate about the value and safety of the
genetic modifcation of crops in the global food system. Te
capacity to induce unique qualities, rigor, or disease resistance
into the genetic structure of food products has prompted new
food production techniques worldwide and fostered debate
about the long term safety and the unintended consequences
of manipulating natural genetic codes. Tere are signifcant
passions embedded in the argument from both sides of the
discussion and pressure for, among other things, labeling re
quirements to inform consumers about the presence of GMO
materials. GMO technology has had important impacts on the
local papaya industry and has also prompted signifcant resis
tance when proposed for taro and cofee. Tis is an issue that
requires ongoing research and that will be debated for decades.
Hawai‘i Island is not likely to be able to wall itself of from this
global issue. With proper disclosure, local consumers do have
an infuence on the kinds of food they chose to consume, or
avoid.
8.10 Food Data Collection
Due to budget cuts, the State abandoned much of its agricul
tural data collection in 2008. Tis decreased capacity to moni
tor progress towards increased food self-sufciency. Te State
needs to strategically rebuild its agricultural data collection
capacity and to organize the data in a way that will assist local
residents to monitor progress towards food self-sufciency in a
format that helps to focus the collective conversation on areas
of production that Hawai‘i can actually hope to make prog
ress in. Given the diversifed nature of modern food delivery
systems and informal networks, there is a need to revisit what
kinds of data are truly useful to collect, both for the use of the
public to monitor progress towards food self reliance goals and
for farmers to help them improve their market penetration
and inform business decision making. Refning and adapt
ing the Food Self-sufciency Scorecard in this report may be
one way to deploy a simple graphic framework for displaying
progress in the future.
102 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
8.11 Land Use Regulation
Many conversations about preserving and promoting local ag
riculture start with a discussion of land use regulation and the
need to formally designate important agricultural lands to pre
vent them from being developed and taken out of agricultural
production. Tis has been a statewide concern, prompted in
large part by the pressure of urbanization on the high qual
ity A and B class soils in the central plain of O‘ahu or on the
south shore of Kaua‘i, where some of the State’s most produc
tive farm land is located. Tis tension between farming and
urban growth is not prevalent on Hawai‘i Island, where growth
patterns are more diverse and ofen occur on lands that have
no practical role for agriculture. Real estate pricing has had
an impact on who can aford to own agricultural land, but that
is a diferent issue and is unafected by important agricultural
land designation.
Te art of efective land use regulation is to understand the
nature of the problems Hawai‘i Island faces and to design
both regulations and incentives to direct desired changes. On
Hawai‘i Island, agriculture comes in many forms and is best
viewed in its regional contexts where the details of available re
sources, climate, trends, and people can be most clearly under
stood. If the goal is to propel farming, and food production in
particular, government needs to adopt a management ap
proach that facilitates production, encourages new agricultural
ventures, and addresses the needs of farm and ranch com
munities to remain productive in the future. One-size-fts-all
regulatory solutions are counterproductive and ofen mask the
important steps required to encourage new investment and
diversifcation in the agricultural sector.
Regulatory issues extend to the building permit processes as
well. Te time and costs required by farmers and ranchers to
meet the high standards modern building codes and to engage
in long bureaucratic processes with regulators has an erosive
efect on the viability of farm activities. Protecting public
health and safety is an important goal and something the
regulatory community needs to balance with the risk and cost
associated with the need for simple, cost efective improve
ments to support farm activities.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 103
9 100 Ways to Increase Food Self-sufficiency
Te following is a list of ideas and actions that were collected
during the process of preparing the Hawai‘i County Food Self-
sufciency Baseline study. Collectively, these suggestions rein
force the fact that Food Self-Sufciency is everyone’s kuleana.
Te challenge goes deeper than just adding farm acres and
increasing local production. Food Self-sufciency requires
some fundamental rethinking about how we interact with the
food that we eat and how we value the local economic and
nutritional value of a locally produced diet. Tis is an evolving
list and one that should be added to by everyone who reads it.
Where are the sweet spots?
Which ones have a cascading efect on other actions?
Which small actions can lead to bigger outcomes?
Consumers
• Learn to eat the food products Hawai‘i already produces
• Look for, and purchase, locally grown food products in
the market place
• Ask your retailers and restaurants to carry and clearly
mark locally produced foods
• Prioritize “local” over “looks”. It is what is inside the
fruit that counts
• Adjust buying habits to accommodate local crop seasons
• Take personal responsibility for food safety; wash and
handle food correctly, regardless of where it comes from
• Learn more about the farmers and ranchers who produce
the food you eat
• Patronize restaurants that highlight the use of local food
products and the creative use of Island resources
• Shop at Farmers Markets for farm fresh produce and
new food ideas
• Increase purchasing of organic products to reduce the
use of chemicals and imported fertilizers
• Look for and support CSA (subscription farming)
Institutional Buyers
• Adjust procurement methods to accommodate local
purchasing
• Develop purchasing patterns to accommodate local
seasonality
• Partner with local producers or groups of producers to
help provide a consistent, seasonal supply of local meat
and produce
• Help to develop the market for local staple foods like
sweet potato, taro, ‘ulu, banana, and coconut
• Promote “farm to fork” connections in advertising and
on the menu
Restaurants
• Utilize local produce and meats in food preparation
• Continue eforts to promote Farm to Plate cuisine and
to highlight the use of local ingredients on menus and in
special programs
• Work with farmers and ranchers to develop sturdy sup
ply networks for consistent, quality products year round
Food Retailers
• Continue eforts to deliver and label local meats and
produce
• Highlight local farmers and ranchers in brand marketing
• Provide stable markets for local producers and coach to
enhance product safety, quality and consistency
• Promote local food in the marketplace
• Carry locally produced organic produce
• Support innovation and new products using local ingre
dients
• Ofer table tastings in store for local products
• Place local foods in a central, visible location
104 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
State Government
• Develop a Food Self-sufciency Baseline for the State
of Hawai‘i to help focus eforts and measure progress
towards improved Food Self-Sufciency statewide
• Continue support of Buy Local campaigns
• Develop institutional buying practices for State purchas
ing that encourage the use of fresh Island produce, meat,
fsh, and eggs
• Ensure that State-owned agricultural lands are as
productive as they can be, with an emphasis on food pro
duction where it is feasible.
• Increase vigilance at harbors and airports to stem the
fow of pests and invasive species that undercut local
food production
• Support Hawai‘i-based food safety initiatives and provide
investment incentives and loan programs to help farmers
fund best management practices
• Support programs that mitigate high shipping costs for
grains and other inputs that undercut the viability of lo
cal poultry, pork, and beef production
• Develop new irrigation systems, where feasible, and sup
port irrigation improvements on both State and private
systems that will result in increased land available for
local food production
• Create a fund for strategic investments aimed at local
poultry, dairy, meat, vegetable, and fruit production and
processing, including food enterprise incubators, diversi
fed agriculture processing facilities, and small farm
improvement funding
• Support the pursuit of alternative energies that will
mitigate the cost of fossil fuels on local agriculture and
consumers
• Explore technologies to produce non-fossil fuel based
fertilizers
• Expand agricultural extension programs aimed at build
ing Hawai‘i’s base of small farmers and backyard food
producers
• Promote the use of local staple foods including sweet
potato, taro, ‘ulu, banana, and coconut
County Government
• Continue fnancial support for Buy Local campaigns
• Continue to support community-based initiatives that
build local food system capacity
• Practice Buy Local in County food purchasing
• Revisit the County’s Real Property Tax policies related to
Agricultural land use to insure that public tax incentives
for agricultural land use result in actual public benefts
and promote local food production where possible
• Expedite building permits for minor farm structures and
water tanks
• Support afordable housing on or near farms for farmers
and farm workers
• Support layering of agricultural and non-agricultural
uses (like agrotourism) on agricultural lands to improve
the economic viability of farms and ranches
• Develop individual strategies to enhance new food pro
duction with the Core Lands where farm activities are
most active
• Enable the construction of commercial kitchens that will
be available for value-added processing of agricultural
products
• Maintain an agricultural specialist on staf to interface
with the agricultural community and to broker support
to address local problems and opportunities
• Research County initiatives and laws across the U.S. that
have removed barriers and added incentives to redevelop
local food systems
• Support the pursuit of alternative energies that will
mitigate the cost of fossil fuels on local agriculture and
consumers
• Support eforts by farmers, food brokers, wholesalers,
and landowners to locate marshalling yards and food
packing and processing facilities to serve regional farm
ing needs
• Create an integrated permitting system that will approve
a whole farm plan at one time and allow several years to
complete
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 105
Department of Education
• Expand institutional buying for local fresh fruits and
vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and snack programs
• Continue to expand support for school gardens as a
context for learning about local foods and the practice of
agriculture
• Provide funds to coordinate and expand the role of
school gardens and agriculture in the school system
• Develop a track from high school to the community col
lege that provides future farmers with business skills
• Implement the federal Wellness Policy mandate for
local schools to set goals for improving nutrition
and increasing physical activity.
• Create a pilot project in one school kitchen on
Hawai’i Island to pioneer the use of locally-sourced
foods for school lunches and snacks
University of Hawai‘i
• Conduct research focused on the practical issues of
Hawai‘i food production
• Work closely with farmers to ensure that practical infor
mation is available
• Develop farmer training curriculum to be delivered near
farm communities and in multiple languages
• Encourage the use of local foods in culinary training
programs and publish recipes that support the use of
local food products
• Invigorate 4-H type programming and develop new farm
and outreach programs for all ages.
• Develop an extension service marketing program to
build the skills of agricultural producers in l how to
commercially market their food products
• Support local farms and ranches by incorporating local
foods into cafeteria menus and highlighting the local
producers whose food is being served
• Utilize the teaching capacity of the UH Experimental
Farm to educate students commercial growers and com
munity members about innovations in home and com
mercial food production
Farmers
• Participate with other farmers and processors in co
operative eforts to assert farm interests, organize bulk
purchasing programs and share marketing and distribu
tion eforts
• Grow crops that help to replace existing food imports
• Explore new crops and traditional targeting import
replacement and the expansion of local products in the
marketplace, including staple foods, animal feed, fertil
izer, and biofuel stock crops
• Be creative – explore new methods and markets
• Control cost where prudent
• Diversify the farm revenue stream, plan for year round
income and build diverse markets
• Explore direct sales to consumers as a means to increase
farm revenues and reduce costs to local consumers
• Employ Best Management Practices (BMP’s) to insure
that produce is safe and free of pathogens
• Install alternative energy technologies in farm and pro
cessing facilities to reduce dependency on the rising cost
of fossil fuels
• Help to teach new farmers and farm laborers about the
business of farming so they can replace the current aging
farmer population
• Utilize available assistance programs to improve farm
practices
• Explore hydroponics
• Investigate Farm Conservation Programs
Ranchers
• Sustain eforts to increase the availability of grass-fed
beef and other meats in the local market place
• Support local processors and invest in eforts to expand
production for local sales of beef, lamb, mutton, and
pork
• Install pasture improvements to enhance forage produc
tion and management
• Improve existing agricultural water sources
• Install more water storage capacity
• Utilize fnancial and technical assistance programs to
improve ranch operations.
106 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Fishermen
• Fish Today for Fish Tomorrow. Practice conservation
and teach it to your children
• Consider fuel cooperative and/or alternative fuel options
to reduce costs
• Expand on-land fsh production through aquaponics and
hydroponics
• Participate in public resource protection initiatives like
tag and release and catch data collection, to help better
understand and monitor local ocean resources
• Follow existing fshing regulations (DAR regulations:
http://Hawai‘i.gov/dlnr/dar/regulations.html)
Food Processors and Distributors
• Develop sustained relationships with farmers to insure
product quality, consistency, and competitive value
• Brand local products clearly
• Support eforts to process of-grade produce into new
products
• Work with USDA Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)
Schools to provide locally grown, fresh fruits and veg
etables for local school snacks
Large Landowners
• Make it a priority to have food produced on some por
tion of available land with sufcient lease term and rents
to enable sustained farm investment
• Encourage sustainable farming practices
• Enable and assist farmers to install farmers improve
ments that will improve farm productivity and food
safety
• Encourage farmers and ranchers to utilize government
programs to improve farming practices
• Assist in the upkeep of water, roads, and other infra
structure that may be depended on by productive farm
lessees
• Co-invest in new farm infrastructure to support farm
growth
• Assist farmers to improve farm security and reduce farm
thef.
Small Landowners
• Make it a priority to have some portion of your property
planted in fruit trees and household gardens to supple
ment household consumption
• Lease or invite others to produce food on lands that are
otherwise idle
• Share surplus production with your neighbors, friends,
feeding programs and Food Basket
• Grow nitrogen-fxing tree and cover crops to nurture the
soil
• Process and preserve surplus foods through pickling,
dehydrating, canning, smoking, freezing, or fermenting
Parents
• Commit time regularly to produce some portion of your
family’s food consumption through harvesting, garden
ing, fshing, or hunting,
• Practice cooking local foods with your children and
their friends
• Practice “Buy Local” and teach your children the value
the cultural, nutritional, and economic benefts of fresh
local food
• Prepare a family meal weekly using only locally pro
duced foods
• Get to know your local farmers
• Encourage school fund raisers to promote local products
• Volunteer time in your children’s school gardens
• Increase the amount of food on hand for emergencies
• Advertise local foods with bumper stickers and t-shirts…
then Walk the Talk
Children
• Choose local fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks
• Learn to prepare local produce and share recipes with
friends and family
• Participate in School Garden programs or ask your
school to start one
• Encourage your family and friends to eat more local,
fresh foods
• Encourage your family to start a vegetable garden, either
in the ground or in pots
• Plant fruit trees in your yard
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 107
References
Atkinson, Scott, (2001) People And Te Sea: A Review Of
Expert Opinion Of What It Will Take To Enhance Te
Conservation Of Marine Resources In Te Main Hawaiian
Islands, Te Nature Conservancy.
Crawford, David Livingstone (1937), Hawaii’s Crop Paradise,
A Review of Useful Products from the Soils in the Hawai
ian Islands, Past and Present, , Advertiser Publishing Co.
Ltd.
Census of Agriculture 2007, Hawaii State and County Data,
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Issues 2009.
Commercial Marine Landings Summary Trend Report,
(2009), Division of Aquatic Resources, Department of
Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawaii,.
Dairy Industry Strategic Plan, (July 2010) Report To Te
Twenty-Fifh Legislature Regular Session Of 2010. In Re
sponse To Act 46, SLH 2008, Prepared By: State Of Hawaii,
Department of Agriculture
Department Of Agriculture, (December 2009), Development
Of A Plan To Optimize Te Use Of Te Kamuela Vacuum
Cooling Plant, In Response To House Concurrent Resolu
tion No. 113 2009 Legislative Session, State Of Hawaii.
Diamond, Adam and Bartham, James, (2012) Moving Food
Along the Value Chain: Innovations in Regional Food Dis
tribution, USDA Marketing Services Division.
Handy, Craighill and Handy, Elizabeth green, (1972) Native
Planter of Old Hawaii, Teir Life, Lore, Bishop Museum
Bulletin 233, Honolulu.
Leong, PingSun and Loke, Matthew, (2008), Economic Im
pacts of Increasing Hawai‘i’s Food Self-Sufciency, CTAHR
Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineer
ing and Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, University of
Hawaii.
O’hara, Jefrey K., (August 2011), Market Forces: Creating Jobs
through Public Investment in Local and Regional Food
Systems, Union of Concerned Scientists
OmniTrack Group Inc, (2011) Local Food Demand: Study of
O‘ahu Shoppers, Ulupono Initiative.
Page, Christina; Bony, Lionel; and Schewel, Laura; March
2007, Island of Hawaii Whole System Project, Phase I Re
port, Rocky Mountain Institute.
Parcon, Hazel, Arita, Shawn, Loke, Matthew, Leong, PingSun,
(2001), A Comparison of Agricultural Prices: Hawaii vs.
Its Major Export Competitors, College of Tropical Agricul
ture, University of Hawaii.
Redfeather, Nancy, (2011), Characteristics of School Gardens
on Hawaii Island, Pacifc Resources for Education and
Learning School Garden Survey, Te Kohala Center.
Roddy, Kevin M. and Arita-Tsusumi, Lorna, A History of
Honey Bees in the Hawaiian Islands, posted on Hawaii
Beekeepers Website http://www.hawaiibeekeepers. org/history.php, University of Hawai’i at Hilo.
Statistics of Hawaiian Agriculture 2008, Department of Agri
culture, State of Hawaii and USDA National Agricultural
Statistics Service.
Subica, Wayne, (2010), Memories of Hawaii: Big Islands Moms
and Pops: Before Walmart and K-Mart, Memories of
Hawaii-Big Island LLC, Hawaii Plantation and Industrial
Museum.
Te Kohala Center, (2010), Te 2010 County of Hawai‘i Agri
culture Development Plan, Department of Research and
Development, County of Hawai‘i.
White, Alexander, (2011), A Comparison of Local and Im
ported Foods in East Hawai`i Markets,
Unpublished Undergraduate work, University of Hawai`i at
Hilo, Department of Geography, Environmental Science.
108 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
APPENDIX A - List of People Contacted and Contributing to this report
Food Self Sufficiency Baseline Contact List
Peter Adler
Earnest Alfonso
Quirino Antonio
Vivienne Aronowitz
Steven Arrujo
Larry Balberde
Lisa Barton
Lori Beach
Bill Beach
Melanie Bondera
Melissa Bos
Brandy Boudet
Madi Brunner
Jim Cain
Rick Chalmers
Betsy Cole
Mark Crawford
John Cross
Tane Datta
Kyle Datta
Andrea Dean
Keith Dela Cruz
Steven Dias
Carry Dizon
Kaeo Duarte
Michael Dupont
Tom English
Scott Enright
Rory Flynn
David Fuertes
Glen Fukumoto
Michelle Galimba
Adil Ghiasi
Mike Gibson
Dennis Gonsalves
Meg Greenwell
Tom Greenwell
James Greenwell
Hawaii Agricultural Mediation Program; Accord 3.0
Waimea Ditch system manager, DOA
DWS Manager
Kaiser Permanente, Slow Foods Advocate
Pig Hunter, former pig farmer
Hāmākua farmer
Laupahoehoe Train Museum
Hāmākua Farmer’s Coop
Hāmākua Farmer
Kohala Center, Cooperative Program
Conservation International: Hawaii Isl program director
Parker Ranch, land manager
UH Manoa DURP GIS specialist: Kauai IAL project
Waipio kalo farmer, New Farmer Development Program
Meadow Gold Hilo
Kohala Center
Mac Farms
Edmund Olson Trust, land manager in Ka and Hāmākua
Adaptations, county Ag commissioner
Ulupono Initiative
Sustainability consultant
Hilo Farmer’s Market
Hāmākua Ditch supervisor, DOA, Hāmākua Farmer
Big Island Bee keepers Association President
KS Hawaii Island Region Manager
CTAHR Extension Agent, livestock and natural farming
WH Shipman
Former ADC member, O‘okala resident, Deputy director DOA
Sun Fuels
North Kohala educator, farmer
UH CTAHR Pasture specialist: Kealakekua
Kuahiwi Ranch, Ka’u, Board of Ag Member
Paradise Kava Co
Hāmākua Harvest
Director USDA Pacifc Island Research Center
Choicemart
Greenwell Farms
Palani Ranch, Cattlemen’s Assoc
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 109
Richard Ha Hāmākua Springs owner
Randy Hamasaki CTAHR Extension veg crops
Bob Hamilton Hula Brothers owner tropical fruit grower
Susie Hamilton Plant-it Hawaii, owner
John Hanson Bee Beekeeper, consultant
Marah Hardt Ocean researcher
Marisa Harmon KS E. Hawaii Land manager
Leslie Hill Paradise Plants, Hāmākua Farmer
Jim Hoillier DOA Extension in food Safety
Dayday Hopkins COH R&D Ag Specialist
Kevin Hopkins UHH PACRC aquaculture
Mark Hudson USDA NASS Field Ofce
Julie Hugo Hawaii Island Board of Realtors , President
Brenda Iokepa-Moses Olson Trust; Ka’u
Jim Jacobi USFWS
Keoki Kahumoku Pig Hunter, wild pig processor
Leanora Kaiaokamalie Kauai Planning Dept, planner IAL project
Bull Kailiawa Ka’u cofee farmer
Neil Kanemoto Pacifc Island Fisheries Group non-proft, POP Marine
Dru Kanuha KS Intern, Ulu Festival
Guy Kaulukukui DLNR Deputy Director
Christian Kay Hawaii County Planning, Hāmākua CDP
Perry Kealoha Kamehameha Schools, Kona Land Manager
Kanani Keliikoa DWS Information Ofcer
Troy Keolanui OK Farms, S. Hilo
Mark Kinoshita Hoea Ag Park, North Kohala farmer
Derrick Kirisu KTA Mountain Apple Brand
Russell Kokobun DOA Chairman
Randy Kurohara COH Research and Development Director
Thegn Ladefoged Univ. of Auckland archaeologist, pre-contact food print
Kraig Lee Ariana Farms, cofee farmer, Kona ag realtor
Bobby-Jean Leithead-Todd County Planning Director
Pingsung Leong CTAHR Ag Economist
Diane Ley USDA Farm Service Agency, Hawaii director
Reese Libby NRCS GIS specialist
Matthew Loke DOA/CTAHR Agricultural Economist
Ken Love Tropical Fruit Grower, advocate
Susan Maddox Friends of the Future Waipio Circle Facilitator
Karl Magnacca Native Bee expert UHH
Jill Mattos Hawaii Beef Producer, Pa’auilo slaughter House
Joey Mello DOFAW, East Hawaii hunting
110 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Tom Menezes
Peter Mills
Nicole Milne
Loren Mochida
Jason Mock Chew
Russell Nagata
Bobby Nakamoto
James Nakatani
Julia Neil
Lorie Oba
Edward Olson
Mahina Patterson
Delan Perry
Lani Petrie
Georgia Pinski
Kathy Pomeroy
Garner Puett
Tom Pulusak
Ted Radovitch
Collette Rapoza-Yamamoto
Nancy Redfeather
David Reitow
Sally Rice
Tim Richards
Monty Richards
Christine Richarson
Peter Risley
Chris Robb
Rick Robinson
Tom Ruf
Craig Severance
Hans Sin
Stanley Sitco
Richard Snitzler
Richard Speigle
Bill Stiener
Wayne Subica
April Suprenant
Roy Takemoto
Pedro Tama
Nimr Tamimi
Farmer South Hilo
UHH Anthropology, archaeologist
UHM PhD candidate, Hāmākua farm resource person
WH Shipman Ag manager
Waipio Taro farmer
CTAHR Extension Service
PuuKapu vegetable Farmer: Vacuum cooling Plant
Former DOA Deputy Director
Ka’u Calendar publisher
Rusty’s Hawaiian Ka’u Cofee, county Ag Commission
Olson Trust, Ka’u, S. Hilo landowner, ag investor
UHH student intern
Puna Papaya farmer, Water Board Member
Kapapala Ranch
Downtown Improvement Association
County Ag commission Chair
Big Island Bees
ChoiceMart produce buyer
CTAHR Organic program
COH R&D Librarian
Kohala Center, School Garden Network
Agro Resources, Macadamia Association President
Agro consultant
Kahua Ranch/Cattlemen Association
Kahua Ranch
North Kohala Community Resource Center
North Kohala Farmer
Robb Farms , Organic vegetable farmer, Lalamilo
Farm Bureau, Kona
Rivertop LLC, ag waste treatment
UHH Professor in Marine Biology
DOFAW hunting program, Waimea
COH Real Property Tax Administrator
Hāmākua Macadamia Co CEO
Volcano Honey owner
UHH Nat’l Resources and Forestry
Retires NRCS, Hilo historian
COH Planning Long-range Division
PBR Hawaii: Hāmākua CDP
Home Garden Network
Atebara Potato Chips, S. Hilo farmer, engineer
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 111
Eric Tanoue Green Point Nursery, County Ag Commission
David Tarnes Malama Kai Foundation, Hoea Ag Park, County Ag Commission
Randy Teruya DOA Ag Irrigation systems Manager
Morgan Toledo Waipio taro grower, poi maker
Grant Tomita DOA Milk Control Program Specialist
Lorna Tsutsumi UHH School of Ag bee person
Nick Turner UHH grad GIS support
Pono Von Holt Ponoholo Ranch
Bill Walters WH Shipman
Debbie Ward Hawaii Organic Farmers Assoc
Coralee Watters Asst. Prof UH Manoa, Family Nutrition
Eric Weinert CalAvo
Drake Weinert Natural Farming practitioner
Kaika Welch Dragon Eye Learning Center: sustainable Farming
Stephen Wheat Alembic Int’l food distributor in Hāmākua
Alex White UHH Intern
Ron Whitmore Hawaii county Planning, Ka’u CDP
Lyle Wong DOA
Keoki Wood Parker Ranch stock manager
Chris Yuen N. Hilo Farmer, former Planning Director
Susan Yugawa UHH Graphics Department
112 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Appendix B. Department of Agriculture, Statistics on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in 2008 and 2009
MARKET SUPPLY: FRESH VEGETABLES
MARKET SUPPLY: Fresh Market Vegetables, State of Hawaii, 2004-2008 1
Commodity 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Hawaii
market share 2008
------------------------------------------- 1,000 pounds ------------------------------------------- Percent
Beans, snap: Inshipments 531 619 592 460 540
Hawaii 900 700 600 700 700 56
Bittermelon: Inshipments 66 149 108 123 74 Hawaii 250 250 180 150 140 65
Broccoli: Inshipments 5,478 5,794 5,830 5,535 5,205 Hawaii 500 600 330 390 360 6
Burdock: Inshipments 82 94 79 73 71 Hawaii 2
Cabbage, Chinese: Inshipments 1,528 1,027 949 625 818
Hawaii 4 5,300 4 5,700 4 6,100 6,300 5,600 87
Cabbage, head: Inshipments 4,022 3,054 2,930 2,540 2,329 Hawaii 9,000 9,800 10,100 10,400 9,400 80
Cabbage, mustard: Inshipments 207 237 262 223 282 Hawaii 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,300 82
Carrots: Inshipments 11,400 12,607 12,767 11,667 11,144 Hawaii 2
Cauliflower: Inshipments 1,340 1,076 1,167 1,378 1,350 Hawaii 2
Celery: Inshipments 5,065 4,931 5,497 5,192 5,133 Hawaii 900 830 670 510 360 7
Corn, sweet: Inshipments 1,390 1,169 712 806 611 Hawaii 1,800 1,700 1,800 2,400 2,200 78
Cucumbers: Inshipments 920 1,543 1,118 1,795 1,383 Hawaii 5,900 6,000 5,400 5,000 4,800 78
Daikon: Inshipments 3 6 6 2 6 2 2 2 2 2Hawaii 3
Dasheen: Inshipments 746 659 680 887 716
Hawaii 2
Eggplant: Inshipments 675 986 821 970 734 Hawaii 1,050 1,200 1,000 760 900 55
Ginger root: Inshipments 591 224 105 394 928 Hawaii 6,000 5,100 4,300 2,800 1,800 66
Lettuce 5: Inshipments 9,116 8,065 8,232 8,824 8,089 Hawaii 1,300 1,100 1,200 1,000 1,000 11
Lotus root: Inshipments 53 58 70 51 73
Hawaii 2
Onions, dry: Inshipments 17,982 21,210 20,562 19,595 18,654 Hawaii 1,600 2,300 1,400 1,400 1,400 7
See footnotes at end of table. Continued
Market Supply Fresh Vegetables 2
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 113
MARKET SUPPLY: FRESH VEGETABLES
MARKET SUPPLY: Fresh Market Vegetables, State of Hawaii, 2004-2008 1 -- Continued
Commodity 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Hawaii market share 2008
------------------------------------------- 1,000 pounds ------------------------------------------- Percent
Onions, green: Inshipments 896 590 777 776 589 Hawaii 1,600 1,700 1,500 1,400 1,600 73
Parsley, American: Inshipments 167 178 204 231 271
Hawaii 280 250 250 140 100 27
Peas, Chinese: Inshipments 257 260 256 287 209 Hawaii 2
Peppers, green: Inshipments 2,489 2,997 3,402 4,864 4,790 Hawaii 3,200 3,000 2,800 1,800 6
Potatoes: Inshipments 4 34,629 39,032 39,191 24,392 22,291 Hawaii 2
Potatoes, sweet: Inshipments 1,357 1,337 1,530 1,715 1,616 Hawaii 4,600 6,300 6,000 7,100 8,100 83
Pumpkins: Inshipments 833 363 203 419 903 Hawaii 250 80 290 470 90 9
Radish: Inshipments 11 9 5 9 0 Hawaii 2
Romaine: Inshipments 9,336 10,465 10,355 10,937 9,334 Hawaii 1,500 1,700 1,300 1,200 1,000 10
Squash, Italian: Inshipments 1,130 1,259 1,722 1,845 1,738 Hawaii 1,700 1,500 1,100 1,200 1,480 46
Squash, Oriental: Inshipments 55 139 492 600 640 Hawaii 650 450 400 500 350 35
Taro: Inshipments 1,002 705 962 305 232 Hawaii 3 100 100 100 100 100 30
Tomatoes: Inshipments 3,538 5,624 4,877 4,265 4,157 Hawaii 16,800 14,200 14,700 14,300 6
Watercress: Inshipments 45 41 60 13 4 Hawaii 850 700 750 770 750 99
All other Inshipments 28,974 30,639 32,624 33,204 31,967 vegetables: Hawaii 20,020 18,300 21,100 6 6
Unspecified Inshipments 7 12,902 11,540 14,226 15,648 13,376 vegetables:
Total: Inshipments 158,816 168,686 159,147 160,650 150,257 Hawaii 87,450 84,960 84,770 83,650 77,485 34 All 246,266 253,646 243,917 244,300 227,742
1 Inshipment data was provided by the Market Analysis and News Branch of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. 2 Data not shown separately to avoid disclosure of individual operations but combined and included with “All other vegetables”. 3 Fresh market only. 4 For processing and fresh market. 5 Processed lettuce, both local production and inshipments, are included in “All other vegetables”. 6 Data not shown separately to avoid disclosure of individual operations but combined and included in the State total. 7 Vegetable data received without commodity names specified.
114 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
MARKET SUPPLY: FRESH VEGETABLES
MARKET SUPPLY: Fresh Market Vegetables, State of Hawaii, 2005-2009 1
Commodity 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Hawaii market share 2009
------------------------------------------- 1,000 pounds -------------------------------------------Percent
Beans, snap: Inshipments Hawaii 619 700 592 600 460 700 540 700
1
6
Bittermelon: Inshipments 149 108 123 74 1
Hawaii 250 180 150 140 360
Broccoli: Inshipments 5,794 5,830 5,535 5,205 1
Hawaii 600 330 390 360 300
Burdock: Inshipments Hawaii 2 94 79 73 71 1
Cabbage, Chinese: Inshipments
Hawaii 3 1,027 4 5,700
949 4 6,100
625
6,300
818
5,600
1
5,500
Cabbage, head: Inshipments 3,054 2,930 2,540 2,329 1
Hawaii 9,800 10,100 10,400 9,400 8,700
Cabbage, mustard: Inshipments 237 262 223 282 1
Hawaii 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,300 1,300
Carrots: Inshipments
Hawaii 2 12,607 12,767 11,667 11,144 1
Cauliflower: Inshipments Hawaii 2 1,076 1,167 1,378 1,350 1
Celery: Inshipments Hawaii 4,931 830 5,497 670 5,192 510 5,133 360
1
6
Corn, sweet: Inshipments
Hawaii
1,169
1,700
712
1,800
806
2,400
611
2,200
1
6
Cucumbers: Inshipments Hawaii 1,543 6,000 1,118 5,400 1,795 5,000 1,383 4,800
1
6
Daikon: Inshipments Hawaii 4 2 6 2 6 2 2 2 6 1
2
Dasheen: Inshipments
Hawaii 2 659 680 887 716 1
Eggplant: Inshipments 986 821 970 734 1
Hawaii 1,200 1,000 760 900 1,300
Ginger root: Inshipments 224 105 394 928 1
Hawaii 5,100 4,300 2,800 1,800 1,600
Lettuce 5: Inshipments 8,065 8,232 8,824 8,089 1
Hawaii 1,100 1,200 1,000 1,000 950
Lotus root: Inshipments Hawaii 2 58 70 51 73 1
Onions, dry: Inshipments 21,210 20,562 19,595 18,654 1
Hawaii 2,300 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,500
See footnotes at end of table. Continued
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 115
MARKET SUPPLY: FRESH VEGETABLES
MARKET SUPPLY: Fresh Market Vegetables, State of Hawaii, 2005-2009 1 -- Continued
Commodity 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Hawaii market
share 2009
------------------------------------------- 1,000 pounds -------------------------------------------Percent
Onions, green: Inshipments Hawaii 590 1,700 777 1,500 776 1,400 589 1,600
1
1,400
Parsley, American: Inshipments
Hawaii
178
250
204
250
231
140
271
100
1
6
Peas, Chinese: Inshipments Hawaii 2 260 256 287 209 1
Peppers, green: Inshipments Hawaii 2,997 3,000 3,402 2,800 4,864 1,800 4,790 6
1
6
Potatoes: Inshipments 4
Hawaii 2 39,032 39,191 24,392 22,291 1
Potatoes, sweet: Inshipments Hawaii 1,337 6,300 1,530 6,000 1,715 7,100 1,616 8,100
1
8,300
Pumpkins: Inshipments
Hawaii
363
80
203
290
419
470
903
90
1
6
Radish: Inshipments Hawaii 2 9 5 9 0 1
Romaine: Inshipments Hawaii 10,465 1,700 10,355 1,300 10,937 1,200 9,334 1,000
1
800
Squash, Italian: Inshipments Hawaii 1,259 1,500 1,722 1,100 1,845 1,200 1,738 1,480
1
1,170
Squash, Oriental: Inshipments Hawaii 139 450 492 400 600 500 640 350
1
340
Taro: Inshipments
Hawaii 3 705
100
962
100
305
100
232
100
1
100
Tomatoes: Inshipments Hawaii 5,624 14,200 4,877 14,700 4,265 14,300 4,157 6
1
6
Watercress: Inshipments Hawaii 41 700 60 750 13 770 4 750
1
820
All other
vegetables:
Unspecified vegetables:
Total:
Inshipments
Hawaii
Inshipments 7
Inshipments
Hawaii All
30,639
18,300
11,540
168,686 84,960 253,646
32,624
21,100
14,226
159,147 84,770 243,917
33,204 6
15,648
160,650
83,650 244,300
31,967 6
13,376
150,257
77,485 227,742
1
6
1
1
79,498 NA
NA = Not available. 1 Inshipment data was provided by the Market Analysis and News Branch of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. Data for 2009 is not available due to reduction-in-force eliminating all Market Analysis and News Branch positions. 2 Data not shown separately to avoid disclosure of individual operations but combined and included with “All other vegetables”. 3 For processing and fresh market. 4 Fresh market only. 5 Processed lettuce, both local production and inshipments, are included in “All other vegetables”. 6 Data not shown separately to avoid disclosure of individual operations but combined and included in the State total. 7 Vegetable data received without commodity names specified.
Market Supply Fresh Fruit _38_2008
116 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
MARKET SUPPLY: FRESH FRUITS
MARKET SUPPLY: Fresh Market Fruits, State of Hawaii, 2004-2008 1 2
Commodity 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Hawaii market
share 2008
------------------------------------------- 1,000 pounds ------------------------------------------- Percent
Apples: Inshipments 13,392 15,320 15,431 16,269 15,413
Avocados: Inshipments 1,780 2,130 2,349 2,332 1,971
Hawaii 740 800 1,020 1,160 1,000 34
Bananas: Inshipments 13,929 13,017 15,408 16,028 19,552 Hawaii 16,500 20,900 22,000 25,600 17,400 47
Cantaloupe melons: Inshipments 6,149 7,658 7,736 7,410 6,241 Hawaii 3
Grapefruit: Inshipments 1,719 1,488 1,561 1,600 1,307
Hawaii 3 40 50 30 46 3
Grapes: Inshipments 8,360 9,831 9,506 9,584 9,149
Honeydew melons: Inshipments 2,773 2,570 3,813 3,905 3,204
Hawaii 3
Lemons: Inshipments 3,915 4,196 4,154 4,035 3,501 Hawaii 3 54 45 33 55 2
Limes: Inshipments 1,456 1,678 1,749 2,139 1,957 Hawaii 3 59 121 69 76 4
Nectarines: Inshipments 2,593 2,260 2,219 2,379 2,513
Oranges: Inshipments 13,683 15,740 14,824 10,671 12,381 Hawaii 3
Papayas: Inshipments 3
Hawaii 4 20,400 18,755 16,740 18,650 16,960
Pears: Inshipments 5,109 3,971 4,873 5,018 4,776
5 5 5 5Pineapples: Hawaii 30,900
Tangerines: Inshipments 902 1,254 1,893 1,460 2,000 Hawaii 3 51 85 89 98 5
Watermelons: Inshipments 3,165 3,946 5,174 4,007 3,772
Hawaii 10,100 11,300 10,400 13,100 6
All other fruits: Inshipments 13,148 15,507 16,382 17,010 12,478 Hawaii 4,697 5,601 7,612 7,709 6
Unspecified fruits: Inshipments 7 8,362 7,391 9,817 11,751 10,463
Total: Inshipments 100,435 107,957 116,889 115,598 110,678 Hawaii 73,337 57,560 58,073 66,440 52,744 32 All 173,772 165,517 174,962 182,038 163,422
1 Excludes pineapples, guavas, papayas, and passion fruit used for processing, and quantities shipped out-of-State. 2 Inshipment data was provided by the Market Analysis and News Branch of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. 3 Data not shown separately to avoid disclosure of individual operations but combined and included with “All other fruits”. 4 Fresh intrastate sales only. Excludes mainland and foreign fresh sales. 5 Data not available. 6 Data not shown separately to avoid disclosure of individual operations but combined and included in the State total. 7 Fruit data received without commodity names specified.
Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County - 117
MARKET SUPPLY: FRESH FRUITS
MARKET SUPPLY: Fresh Market Fruits, State of Hawaii, 2005-2009 1 2
Commodity 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Hawaii market share 2009
------------------------------------------- 1,000 pounds ------------------------------------------- Percent
Apples: Inshipments 15,320 15,431 16,269 15,413 2
Avocados: Inshipments 2,130 2,349 2,332 1,971 2
Hawaii 800 1,020 1,160 1,000 1,040
Bananas: Inshipments 13,017 15,408 16,028 19,552 2
Hawaii 20,900 22,000 25,600 17,400 18,500
Cantaloupe melons: Inshipments 7,658 7,736 7,410 6,241 2
Hawaii 3
Grapefruit: Inshipments 1,488 1,561 1,600 1,307 2
Hawaii 40 50 30 46 4
Grapes: Inshipments 9,831 9,506 9,584 9,149 2
Honeydew melons: Inshipments 2,570 3,813 3,905 3,204 2
Hawaii 3
Lemons: Inshipments 4,196 4,154 4,035 3,501 2
Hawaii 54 45 33 55 4
Limes: Inshipments 1,678 1,749 2,139 1,957 2
Hawaii 59 121 69 76 4
Nectarines: Inshipments 2,260 2,219 2,379 2,513 2
Oranges: Inshipments 15,740 14,824 10,671 12,381 2
Hawaii 3
Papayas: Inshipments 5
Hawaii 6 18,755 16,740 18,650 16,960 17,170
Pears: Inshipments 3,971 4,873 5,018 4,776 2
Pineapples: Hawaii 7
Tangerines: Inshipments 1,254 1,893 1,460 2,000 2
Hawaii 51 85 89 98 4
Watermelons: Inshipments 3,946 5,174 4,007 3,772 2
Hawaii 11,300 10,400 13,100 8 4
All other fruits: Inshipments 15,507 16,382 17,010 12,478 2
Hawaii 5,601 7,612 7,709 8 4
Unspecified fruits: Inshipments 9 7,391 9,817 11,751 10,463 2
Total: Inshipments 107,957 116,889 115,598 110,678 2
Hawaii 57,560 58,073 66,440 52,744 50,239 All 165,517 174,962 182,038 163,422 NA
NA = Not available. 1 Excludes pineapples, guavas, papayas, and passion fruit used for processing, and quantities shipped out-of-State. 2 Inshipment data was provided by the Market Analysis and News Branch of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. Data for 2009 is not available due to reduction-in-force eliminating all Market Analysis and News Branch positions. 3 Data not shown separately to avoid disclosure of individual operations but combined and included with “All other fruits”. 4 Estimates not published due to staff reduction-in-force but combined and included in the total. 5 Data not shown separately but combined and included with “All other fruits”. 6 Fresh intrastate sales only. Excludes mainland and foreign fresh sales. 7 Data not available. 8 Data not shown separately to avoid disclosure of individual operations but combined and included in the total. 9 Fruit data received without commodity names specified.
Statistics of Hawaii Agriculture 38
118 - Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufciency in Hawai‘i County
Appendix C - Ulupono Initiative Food Market Demand Study Value Chain
Ulupono Initiative and OmniTrak Group Inc. produced this graphic as part of their report “Local Food Market Demand Study of O‘ahu Shoppers”, December 2011. The graphic depicts a way to visualize the flow of local produce into the market place, and identifies points in the process that could be strategically improved.