AGRICULTURE

Think pineapple, coffee, lei, chocolate or papaya — and Hawaii probably comes to mind. Hawaii’s proud agricultural products are often the symbols that visitors associate with Hawaii. Often they are the reason that tourists come to Hawaii.

Agriculture is a vital component of Hawaii’s economy, and it also supports Hawaii’s most important industry, tourism. Hawaii’s farmers and ranchers are excellent stewards of the land and are dedicated to the conservation and protection of Hawaii’s agricultural lands. Farmers and ranchers help maintain the rural landscape that visitors expect to see while in Hawaii.

In the 21st century, less than 2 percent of the population has any direct connection to agriculture. This means that most of us do not have any idea how food is grown.

Agritourism — traveling and visiting a farm or ranch — is a win-win situation. It’s an opportunity for consumers to see how food, fuel and fiber are created, and it gives farmers and ranchers direct contact to share their stories with consumers.

This shared experience increases the general understanding of what it takes to run a productive farm or ranch, which in turn can lead to more support for public policies that are favorable to agriculture.

Today’s visitors seek out experiences that bring them into contact with local people, foods and culture. Hawaii has so many flowers, fruits and vegetables that we take for granted but are considered exotic by visitors. Passion fruit, pineapple, bok choy, lychee, orchids, anthuriums, cacao, macadamia nuts, coffee — the list goes on.

Even farmers and ranchers from the mainland are awed by Hawaii’s diverse agricultural industry.

Hawaii’s tourism industry also benefits agriculture by providing opportunities to promote public awareness of Hawaii’s agricultural and ranching industry.

There has been a growing trend from the tourism industry for agricultural and farm-based tourism attractions, especially from repeat visitors to Hawaii.

The KCC Farmers’ Market, the Hawaii State Farm Fair, farm tours and the Maui Ag Fest have become must-see activities when visiting Hawaii. These agritourism activities not only help educate the public about agriculture, but may also help enhance the viability of Hawaii’s farmers and ranchers by increasing the revenues to their operations.

In addition, the heightened interest in food makes Hawaii a great destination for agritourism. Twelve Hawaii chefs recognized that in 1988 when they established Hawaii Regional Cuisine, a culinary movement that uses and promotes Hawaii’s diverse bounty from farms, ranches and the sea in their world-class restaurants.

This foundation set the stage for the third annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, which draws on international chefs and continues the promotion and use of local produce and protein for gourmet samplings for visitors and residents alike.

Collaboration between agriculture, tourism and the business sectors has become the segue to providing an economy that is more about Hawaii’s "aloha spirit" and values, which is reflected in how we do business, and how we interact with visitors and each other.

Going forward, this kind of collaboration enhances all of our industries. It’s this synergy between agriculture and tourism that truly demonstrates the aloha spirit, which is the real reason that visitors come to Hawaii.