New research from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa highlights the importance of diversity in agroforests.
The research team, from the university’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, studied 48 agroforests in Fiji and found that highly diverse areas help ecosystems thrive and help boost the nutritional value for humans.
Ashley McGuigan, an extension specialist faculty member with UH, is the lead author on the study.
She said that Fiji and Hawaiʻi face similar threats of climate change on their islands, and both should rely on biodiverse agroforests to help ecosystems stay resilient in increasing weather hazards.
“It’s important in helping communities be resilient because of the biodiversity they maintain and steward, but more so because of the traits, or the sort of plant personalities, within these agroforests that help to enable that recovery,” McGuigan said.
Normal agriculture systems commonly used to grow food are usually monocultures, which are systems that grow an abundance of one type of food in a large area. But McGuigan noted that these are often harmful to the ecosystems because of the chemicals and pesticides used, and they are focused on cost efficiency and how much product can be used, instead of creating sustainable methods.
McGuigan also noted that the research shows how important Indigenous knowledge is in environmental studies.
“When we think about our food production systems and community health, it's really important that we incorporate Indigenous knowledge into food system transformation efforts,” McGuigan said.
“If you can't grow your own food, you're dependent upon food that's brought in, and food that's brought in and is affordable is not necessarily always the food that's best for our health.”
She added that it’s vital to recognize the systemic issues that stand in the way of this practice. Many people in Hawaiʻi face obstacles to owning land, meaning they cannot be self-sufficient in providing food for themselves and their dependents.
