Form Submission: Participation Entry

Research Day Entry

How Values Shape Food Systems: The Impact of New Englanders on Agriculture in Hawaii

When most people think of Hawaii they think of a tourist destination. Most forget that the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown in 1893 by agricultural business interests – tied to the sugar industry – and was later annexed by the U.S. despite Native Hawaiian opposition. Today what is seen as a tropical paradise carries the imprints of colonial agriculture. The paradox of Hawaii is that in a land of ecological fertility, over 85% of food is imported. Reliance on shipping drives up the local cost of food and decreases freshness; meanwhile, the islands are more vulnerable to disruptions in the supply chain. What set-off this course of development? My research combines ethnographic research on the Island of Hawaii with early missionary records from the 1800’s and other historical texts. Understanding how underlying values and belief systems of the missions shaped land-use carry important implications for agriculture today.