Solution
Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative’s mission is to revitalize ʻulu (breadfruit) as a viable crop and dietary staple. One of Hawaiʻi’s original food crops, ʻulu is a tree-grown superfood that is delicious, nutritious, versatile and regenerative. By driving growth and resilience in the local food system and empowering small-scale farmers with greater value chain ownership, the Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative can disrupt Hawaiʻi’s longstanding dependence on imported food.
Why we love ’em?
‘Ulu is a mighty fruit. Also known as breadfruit, it’s one of the highest yielding fruit plants out there, as a single tree produces an average of 300 pounds of fruit per year, exceeding common staples like rice, corn, and wheat. It’s also a climate-friendly option that thrives across diverse microclimates, making it an ideal staple in regions experiencing mounting stresses in a changing climate. And finally, it’s a culturally significant “canoe crop” that can help Hawaii rebalance a longstanding reliance on imported food and drive resilience and growth in the local food system. The Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative is building a farmer-owned, competitive supply chain and market for local breadfruit and other regenerative crops. By restoring ‘ulu agroforestry systems through a cooperative framework, it can reverse the economic and environmental damage caused by more than a century of monocrop plantations and other degrading agricultural practices. And proving the model in Hawaiʻi can show other locations that breadfruit trees are a powerful way to sequester carbon, create habitat, support watershed functionality, and provide myriad other ecosystem services.
