HAWAIIAN AGRICULTURE

CACAO IS PART OF HAWAII’S AG FUTURE

No more sugar, barely any pineapple...the old commodity plantation crops are pretty much gone. This isn’t  because the people of Hawaii do not want agricultural industries or jobs or locally sourced food full stop—it is just that they became swallowed up by globalization and moved offshore for profits.

So our attempt is to be part of proving that cacao can succeed in Hawaii, and be an important diversified crop for the islands’ future. Exceptional chocolate, sold to consumers at a just price that reflects the inputs all along the way.

A huge part of it was knowing that IF we were successful, perhaps others would make significant investments and help push forward this new agricultural industry here in the islands. One that would fill abandoned sugar cane land, like our farm, and create regenerative ag that could provide good jobs to local workers in the field, in chocolate manufacturing and in sales.

Grown responsibly and with transparency, the resulting Hawaii-grown chocolate could become world-renowned, sought after, and an agri-tourism industry could further develop. Our restaurants and resorts could use this locally grown food in all their preparations. Entrepreneurs may start new chocolate companies, and farmers could find a new crop replacing what had been outsourced decades ago.

We know this is a very lofty goal. But we hope that what we are doing today will one day offer Hawaii a more diverse economy, and will incidentally help to prove that the chocolate industry does absolutely need to change, globally.