How Can We Build Island Resiliency?

Pathways to Self-Sufficiency for Island Communities

When people hear climate change and island in the same sentence their minds often go to rising sea levels, but this is just a part of the picture. Often overlooked is the threat of food security and the importance of resilient, self-sufficient communities.

As islands around the world continue to experience the rapid effects of climate change, their unstable reliance on import goods has become increasingly apparent. While island communities push for self-sufficiency out of necessity, creating more resilient food systems is critical.

For example, Hawaii imports 85-90% of its food – despite the fact that the island climate allows for an abundance of food to be grown. This was not always the case. Prior to colonization, the islands were able to provide for the approximately 800,000 people inhabiting the islands through 100% local production. The introduction of plantation farming by westerners transitioned many islands’ diverse agricultural land to monocropping for export. At the same time, development rapidly encroached on the amount of available agricultural land. As a result, the islands grew dependent on external resources. “American and western culture tries to make everything very efficient and that efficiency comes at the cost of resiliency”, says Adam Watten, Director of Food Systems at Common Ground.

Moloa’a Organica — Anahola, Kaua’i — Kauai's most diverse certified organic farm.

These changes to the islands’ agricultural landscape interrupted natural food systems, while the increased reliance on imports opened these communities to additional vulnerabilities, such as the global supply chain issues experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The dynamics of the import / export of certain goods between islands and the mainland also highlights the complexity and importance of addressing food systems from start to finish. For example, 80% of the calves born in Hawaii are sent to the mainland for processing and in return 90% of the beef purchased in Hawaii comes from the mainland. As John Parziale, Director of Agroecology at Common Ground, explains “if you are raising animals but all of your feed is being shipped in, you’re hard-pressed to call that a “resilient” or “food secure” model of production.”

Understanding the ways that islands are beginning to combat their reliance on imports can provide a roadmap for communities around the world as they consider their own sustainability and resilience.

Across Hawaii and the world, we can find examples of indigenous farmers restoring overworked, formerly industrialized land – embodying the philosophy that if you take care of the land, the land will take care of you.

At Common Ground’s Kaua’i campus, our own agroforest serves as one example of what is possible with a balance of traditional and modern techniques – one that we hope can serve as a blueprint for other farms looking to invest in regenerative practices as part of a collective move toward more resilient, self-sufficient communities.

ICWF will explore how local island resiliency serves as a microcosm of successful food systems that can scale through local communities, globally.

Sources:
https://mauitime.com/news/science-and-environment/pre-contact-hawaiian-agriculture-systems-provide-opportunities-for-the-future-study-finds/

https://www.civilbeat.org/2022/01/hawaii-is-beefing-up-its-potential-to-produce-more-meat-locally/

https://grist.org/agriculture/the-farmers-restoring-hawaiis-ancient-food-forests-that-once-fed-an-island/