Assessing the potential for food and energy self-sufficiency on the island of Kauai, Hawaii

Abstract

Food and energy security are major concerns in the Pacific and around the world. They are key planning priorities in the state of Hawaii as well. Approximately 90% of energy and food resources are imported to Hawaii from the continental USA or other parts of the world. While food and energy independence is a goal in many jurisdictions, assessment of the potential for local food and energy production is lacking. Research is needed to examine how agricultural lands can be used to meet food and energy demands, particularly on islands where land is limited. The contribution of this paper is the development of a community-orientated method for evaluating and prioritizing lands for food and energy self-sufficiency, based on local preferences and production possibilities. Based on a review of the literature, community meetings, and expert interviews, three scenarios were developed to assess food and energy production possibilities on Kauai. The first scenario considers maximum food production, the second assigns equal importance to food and energy production, and the third scenario maximizes energy production. Our analysis shows that while currently zoned agricultural lands on Kauai are capable of meeting the energy and nutritional needs of the current population under some conditions, it is not possible under the strictest definition of “important agricultural lands”. Some aspect or interpretation of the criteria will always have to be relaxed in order to fulfill energy and food-self sufficiency goals. This work broadens policy discussions regarding the preservation of agricultural lands on small islands.