Ag-tech innovation could boost food sustainability

Sustainability and food security are critical to our island community, and fortunately Gov. David Ige and his administration continue to acknowledge that fact through supporting our local agriculture industry. During his 2017 State of the State address, the governor reiterated the state’s goal of doubling local food production by 2020 and creating the state’s first biosecurity plan. He also pointed out how technology had transformed Hawaii’s agriculture industry throughout history.

Technology is also key to Hawaii’s agricultural future. And with local innovation, Hawaii is poised to lead the way for the rest of the world.

With a global population expected to reach 10 billion within the next 35 years, the planet must increase food production by as much as 70 percent. Only 12 percent of the Earth’s surface is cropland, yet agriculture consumes about 70 percent of the world’s freshwater supply. There is tremendous pressure on farmers to increase crop production while still conserving natural resources.

So how can Hawaii help? Our climate supports year-round farming, allowing us to harvest crops and important agricultural data at an accelerated pace. Our location provides a bridge between the increasingly interconnected markets of Asia and the continental United States. And Hawaii’s people — from multigenerational traditional farmers to the industrial innovators of the last century — have already achieved great agricultural success.

For example, Dole’s Pineapple Company yielded the first profitable pineapple crop in the early 1900s thanks to new technology. James Dole commissioned Henry Ginaca to create a peeling machine that accelerated processing from about 10 pineapples per minute to 50 per minute. That yield doubled by 1925, and as the technology continued to evolve, Hawaii was an unrivaled titan in pineapple production by 1930. Ginaca’s machine, composed of cutters and corers, helped crown Hawaii as the world’s pineapple capital for generations. And this innovation sparked additional advances in other areas, from streamlining harvesting and processing to refining juice manufacturing.

We should take inspiration from this rich history of innovation as we chart a course for the future, using today’s digital tools and disruptive technologies.

Indeed, local tech innovation is happening today, and has the potential to again revolutionize farming worldwide. Hawaii is home to visionaries and experts in myriad fields who are developing tools and techniques that give farmers better, quicker information about microclimates, pest migration, irrigation and more. These advancements in technology, including our Smart Yields platform, also encourage famers to collaborate globally. Growers can benefit from information and insights from nearby farms, or even from farms across the world raising the same crop.

Hawaii’s ag-tech community is growing and committed to driving agricultural innovation, but it needs more help. While we’re fortunate to have backing from the highest levels of government, some of the most valuable support comes from the ground up. We need more farmers to be open to technology and to participate in research and pilot projects. We need more educators to embrace school farms as hands-on learning labs to teach kids both valuable STEM skills as well as the importance of sustainability.

And more engagement and support from neighborhoods, counties and the state Legislature will demonstrate to investors and the world Hawaii’s commitment to leading the way in both technology and sustainability.

Ag-tech innovation could once again advance Hawaii’s position on the world stage as farmers everywhere work to achieve global food sustainability. We must continue to support investments in ag-tech solutions, especially in research and development.