KA PILI KAI Kau 2025

E like me nā poʻe maoli a noho papa like ʻole a puni i ka hōnua, ua mahi pono nā Kānaka ʻŌiwi o Hawaiʻi nei i nā ʻāina momona a me nā kai uluwehi i mea e hānai aku i ka lehulehu o nā kānaka ā māʻona, ʻoiai lākou e mālama pū ana i nā kaiaola maoli o ka pae ʻāina. I ka lawe ʻana mai a me ka hoʻolaha ʻana i nā ʻano mahiʻai ʻē, e like me ka hānai pipi a me ka mahi kō, ua ʻaneʻane pau i ka luku ʻia nā ʻāina mahiʻai o nā poʻe ʻōiwi a me nā kaiaola maoli. Akā naʻe, ua hoʻomaʻamaʻa a hoʻomau nō nā poʻe ʻōiwi, a me nā poʻe kamaʻāina, i kēlā au hou no kekahi kenekulia a ʻoi. Eia nō naʻe, i ka hopena o ke kenekulia he 20, ua haʻalele ʻia ka hapanui o nā ʻāina mahi kō e ʻimi ai i nā i nā ʻāina me nā limahana emi. I ka hoʻopau ʻana o nā mahi kō, ua hoʻopau pū ʻia ka hapanui o kō Hawaiʻi nei mahiʻai ʻana o nā ʻano ā pau. Ua hele a nahelehele ka ʻāina a hele ā ʻaiʻai nā poʻe kamaʻāina o Hawaiʻi nei i nā ʻai ʻē i lawe ʻia mai ma nā moku. ʻOiai he moʻolelo kaumaha kēia, ke ulu nei ka hoihoi ma waena o na kamaʻāina o Hawaiʻi nei e hoʻihoʻi hou i nā ʻano mahi ʻai a mahi iʻa pono, e like me nā hana o nā poʻe kahiko. Ma kēia helu o Ka Pili Kai, e ʻimi pū kākou i kekahi mau papahana o ke au nei e hoʻōla hou ana i nā ʻāina momona o Hawaiʻi nei, mai uka a i kai.

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Like Indigenous and traditional communities around the globe, Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians) once sustainably cultivated land and sea to feed a large population abundantly and completely, all while conserving and complementing surrounding native ecosystems. The introduction and expansion of foreign agricultural practices such as cattle ranching and plantation agriculture displaced many of these traditional farms and destroyed surrounding ecosystems. Nonetheless, Kānaka ʻŌiwi and a growing multi-ethnic population persisted within and adapted to this system for over a century. However, by the end of the 20th century, nearly all of Hawaiʻi’s plantation lands had been abandoned for cheaper production opportunities elsewhere. This correlated with the demise of local agriculture in Hawaiʻi as a whole, leaving the islands’ populations almost completely dependent on imported food. Despite this checkered history, the past few decades have seen a resurgent interest in restoring sustainable agriculture in Hawaiʻi, especially in ways aligned with traditional practices. Join us as we explore many of the contemporary issues associated with restoring thriving local food systems in Hawaiʻi, ranging from the uplands to the sea.

Me ka mahalo,
Kawelakai Farrant
Coastal Community Resilience Specialist
Hawaiʻi Sea Grant and North Shore Community Land Trust

On the Cover

Hamakua mushroom yakisoba made from fresh local produce available from Farm Link Hawaiʻi (FLH). Founded by and for farmers in 2015, FLH is a marketplace for local online grocery shopping, delivering across Oʻahu every day. Every dollar spent at FLH goes to supporting the local food economy in Hawaiʻi.

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