Researchers at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa are leading an up-to $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), according to UH News. The team plans to assist Hawaiʻi farmers, ranchers and foresters in creating sustainable, climate-smart practices in farming.
According to UH News, the team plans to find nature-based solutions against climate change, reduce and reuse water for fertilizer, create a resilient local food supply and provide healthier food options to support the state population.
“Climate-smart farming practices are a key part of the transformation of our food system toward health, equity, resilience and sustainability,” said Albie Miles, UH West Oahu Assistant Professor of Sustainable Community Food Systems, to UH News.
According to Hawai‘i Climate Change Coordinator Leah Laramee, providing financial and technical assistance in introducing sustainable practices will help decrease the effects of climate change. “We are reducing the amount of carbon going into the atmosphere, increasing the uptake of carbon and getting closer to our 2045 climate change goals,” she said in a press release.
“Ecologically sustainable food production is more important than ever, not just for sustenance, but for the health and resilience of our economy and community,” Miles added.
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Associate Professor Susan Crow told UH News that the team would directly provide millions of dollars to underserved producers to improve their sustainability practices.
Big Island News stated the grant is part of a $2.8 billion investment into 70 projects nationwide by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support farmers, ranchers and private forest landowners.
“The long-term vision of our project is to contribute to the re-perpetuation of health, resilience and abundance in landscapes and communities throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific area,” said the UH System Office of Indigenous Innovation Director Kamuela Enos to UH News.
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