This article describes some of the opportunities for agritourism in Hawaii that have become increasingly popular in recent years. Besides doing the typical tourist thing and enjoying the many beaches of Hawaii, tourists can also tour plantations, go horseback riding, or visit one of the islands' many farmer's markets. The article also emphasizes another aspect of this new agritourism: the emergence of farm-to-table restaurants on the islands. While these are becoming more popular in the mainland US, on an island that imports 85% of its food and exports most of what it grows, mostly sugar cane and pineapple, this is a unique feat.The man behind the farm-to-table restaurants, Peter Merrimen, started this effort 25 years ago, when it was much harder to get local farmers to source food. He explains that with the decline of the sugar cane market, it has been much easier to get farmers to commit land for growing new crops. Though he didn't start his restaurants with altruistic notions, Merrimen said that over time the restaurants and the growth of agritourism has provided an "economic lifeline" for farmers as a way to pitch and sell their products.
Others, such as Tim Richards of Kahua Farms, one of Merrimen's suppliers, believes the tours of his cattle and sheep ranch, which uses grazing methods that reduce soil erosion and a wind turbine to generate electricity; gives him a platform to educate people about ranch and watershed management and change the bad perceptions that people generally have of ranchers.
Besides sustainable farm tours, there are other ways Hawaii has tried to promote sustainability and keep a healthy ecosystem while still hosting tourists. For example, the article describes an electricity generation project by the National Energy Laboratory, which also hosts aquaculture and desalination projects at its site.
The article ends with an anecdote about how the community around one local farmer's market banded together to restore the watershed it stood on and save it from becoming a golf course. The author writes that they were dedicated to fostering community through traditional agriculture, and buying from these local markets supports this good cause. For the most part, supporting Hawaii's agritourism does seem like a good cause. This way farmers are getting more money for their produce, its bought locally and therefore the money stays local, and it provides a platform to educate about sustainable agriculture and watershed management. Though I'm always skeptical, the situation here seems quite different from the cases we discussed in class, perhaps because these farmers were working where there was already a huge market for tourism, and thus were able to take advantage of these opportunities on their own terms. If they chose not to produce more local foods, there was still a market for exports. While the article paints a picture of a win-win situation for locals and tourists, it would be interesting to hear from some other voices in the community.
What do you think? Does this agritourism seem like a good example of sustainable eco-tourism? If so, what lessons do you take from this for fostering these opportunities elsewhere?
I think this agritourism movement in Hawaii is a great example of sustainable ecotourism. Neither the plants, nor any animals living in the habitat are being harmed which is very important. Additionally, it promotes the idea of consuming locally grown food as opposed to heavily processed imports. This not only protects the environment, but also makes people aware of "being green." By creating a large number of these restaurants at such a popular tourist destination, the Hawaiian people are encouraging sustainable development and consumer practices.
ReplyDeleteAn added benefit to the agritourism movement is economic. Not only do tourists in the area get the benefit of experiencing Hawaii on a "natural" level, they are also stimulating the local economy. Rather than exporting so much of their goods, these farm-to-table restaurants are keeping the generated income in Hawaii. Furthermore, Hawaii will become more self-sustaining if they transition from a wholly sugar cane producing culture to one which produces a variety of crops. In this way, the state will be less reliant on other countries to provide for its people. All in all, I see this agritourism venture as one with great potential and possibility.
While the environmental benefits noted by Sand-n-Sun do support the conclusion that agritourism in Hawaii is a good initiative, the increase in tourism to the area also poses threats to the environment that were not considered in the article. Increased air travel will produce more pollution that could impact not only Hawaii, but also cities where the planes depart or fly over. Too many tourists could damage the marine environment. Often inexperienced snorkelers wreck havoc on the coral reefs which take years to regrow. In light of the potential environmental risks of increased tourism, it will be crucial for Hawaii to regulate the tourism industry to ensure that the environment is not overburdened by the influx of people. Although locals are promoting sustainable actions currently in agritourism, their motivations may be polluted by economic incentives down the road.
ReplyDeleteI feel this sector of the tourism industry will help to promote biodiversity and sustainability practices in Hawaiian agriculture which has been dominated by their importance in the int. sugar cane trade. Although this will attract more tourists, and the air traffic is a source of pollution, many tourists will inevitably travel somewhere and this program is a potential platform to teach people about the importance of agricultural and overall food sustainability. Hawaii is already a popular tourist destination so it is encouraging to see any efforts to cultivate a genuine green consciousness. Not to mention the fact that it could improve the culinary culture of Hawaii from an environmentally friendly paradigm. All societies need that right now. i do agree though that Hawaii should be as careful as possible to regulate potential environmental and other damages from tourism in general.
ReplyDeleteI thought this article was really interesting. I actually took a trip with my family to Hawaii in 6th grade; we were there for a week and didn’t go to the beach once. Instead, we did the things this article mentions, like taking a tour of a coffee plantation and going to a farmer’s market. Seeing as how tourism is obviously one of the most prominent things Hawaii has to offer, and I think it’s really beneficial for those who earn their livelihoods in agriculture to be able to take advantage of that as well. I don’t think that promoting agritourism in Hawaii will attract MORE people – Hawaii, quite frankly, doesn’t need any more publicity to attract tourists, they’re doing just fine on that front. However, while the tourists are there, and maybe want to see something different from the beaches or need a day to let their sunburn heal, a tour of a ranch might be a new and surprisingly interesting experience for them.
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