Sustainable and Organic Agriculture

 

 

Across Hawaii, farmers and ranchers are experimenting with different ways of producing agricultural products, novel approaches which aspire to bring social, economic and environmental well-being to both farm families and to the rural communities in which they live.
 
This type of agriculture simultaneously focuses on three equally important challenges:
  • To provide a more profitable farm income;
  • To promote environmental stewardship; and
  • To promote stable, prosperous farm families and communities.

 

 

 

 

 

Our Commitment to Sustainable Agriculture

 

Hawai'i has a centuries-old tradition of sustainable food production. Pre-contact Hawaiian agricultural systems were closely linked to the natural environment to ensure long-term productivity and support hundreds of thousands of people in these Islands. During the many changes that have since taken place in Hawai'i , The University of Hawai'i has endeavored to maintain agriculture's link with the ecology and biological cycles of our Island home. For nearly 100 years, much work has been conducted by CTAHR in its various incarnations and partnerships to develop and improve agricultural technologies pertinent to organic growers. This includes intensive cover crop research, promoting the importance of locally grown produce, developing biological and cultural methods for controlling pests without chemicals, and the use of biological nitrogen fixation to significantly increase production of high protein foods while at the same time reducing the need for commercially produced fertilizers. CTAHR continues to carry-on Hawaii 's sustainable agricultural tradition through the 21st century.

 

 

 

 

 

Our Website

 

This site reports on project and activities of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) at the University of Hawai`i which promote our understanding and practice of sustainable agriculture in Hawai`i. CTAHR is primarily involved through WSARE (Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education), a national/regional funded program. CTAHR faculty are involved in many other projects not funded by WSARE which contribute to our understanding and practice of sustainable agriculture. Some of these projects may be reported on or linked to this web site.