Many traditional Pacific island crops such as taro provide food for local consumption as well as potentially high-value commercial products. Above, taro in Hanalei Valley.

Collaborators

Dr. J. B. Friday

UH Extension Specialist in Forestry, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, CTAHR, University of Hawai'i, Hilo. He works with landowners, tree farmers, and professional foresters throughout the state on management of both native forests and tree farms. His particular interests are in restoration of native forests, silviculture of koa, agroforestry, and management of high value plantation timber species.

John H. (Bart) Lawrence

Asst. Director for Operations, Pacific Islands-West with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Guam office. He provides support and assistance to Pacific Basin NRCS Field Offices regarding natural resource-related issues and conservation projects. His responsibilities also include providing Conservation Technical leadership and direction in developing conservation technical materials for the U.S.-affiliated NRCS Field Office Technical Guides.

Dr. Roger Leakey 

Professor of Agroecology and Director of the Agroforestry and Novel Crops Unit, School of Tropical Biology, James Cook University in the wet tropics of Queensland, Australia. Between 1993-97 he was Director of Research at ICRAF (formerly the World Agroforestry Centre). He has undertaken studies on tree domestication, genetic improvement of tropical trees, agroforestry in dry and moist tropics, soil microbiology, vegetative propagation, with research projects in Kenya, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. Since 1982, he has undertaken consultancies for ODA, World Bank, European Development Fund, FAO and ACIAR, in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Japan, Philippines, India, Bolivia, Costa Rica, ten countries of West Africa, and Australia.

Dr. Diane Ragone

Director of the Breadfruit Institute at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kaua'i. Her research interests include documenting the history and status of economic plant introductions and crop plant collections in the Pacific islands. Dr. Ragone has worked extensively throughout Oceania for more than 20 years to collect cultivars of important crops and document their traditional uses and related cultural practices. She is developing the Breadfruit Institute as an international center to conserve breadfruit diversity and traditional knowledge and to promote its use for nutrition, income, and environmental protection.

Noni expert Dr. Scot Nelson examines trees at Sweet Spirit Farms, Hawai'i. Noni is a model high-value crop that is native to certain Pacific islands and was introduced centuries ago by indigenous peoples throughout the Pacific.

Advisors

Rogerene (Kali) Arce 

An extension agent with the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, Moloka'i Extension Office. She has worked extensively with farmers to improve on-farm income generation, particularly with Hawaiian Homesteaders.

Nicklos (Nick) Dudley

Forester at Hawai'i Agriculture Research Center (HARC) in Aiea, O'ahu. He specializes in silviculture, selection and breeding, and seed production.

Robert J. Joy

Plant Materials Specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Ho'olehua, Moloka'i. He provides technical guidance in the use of plant materials and is responsible for carrying out systematic selection, evaluation, and improvement of plants used in soil and water conservation in the Pacific.

Kelly Lange

Educational Program Director and Certification Coordinator for the Hawai'i Organic Farmers Association in Hilo, Hawai'i. She works directly with the 200+ certified organic farms in Hawai'i and coordinates workshops.

Ken Love 

A specialist in tropical fruit cultivation and marketing, in Kona, Hawai'i. He currently promotes farm product diversification programs based on seasonality in order to spread the need for labor.

Dr. Mari Marutani

Professor of Horticulture, University of Guam. She specializes in germplasm improvement, conservation of native species, and agroecology.

Dr. Scot C. Nelson 

A plant pathologist with the University of Hawai'i at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, based in Hilo, Hawai'i. Scot works with diseases of tropical crops and fruits as well as a wide variety of native plants.

Dr. William Raynor 

Director of the The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Micronesia Program, based in Pohnpei. He oversees the TNC conservation programs in five Pacific island nations.

Dr. Francis Zee 

Supervisory Research Horticulturist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Hilo, Hawai'i. His responsibilities are to collect, identify, evaluate, maintain, utilize, preserve, and distribute important clonal germplasm for designated tropical fruit, nut, beverage, and ornamental crops.

High-value crops such as tea may capture unique markets by being grown in pristine Pacific island environments. Eva Lee displays a bottle of tea syrup, one of many specialty products that extend tea products into new markets.

Coordinator

Craig Elevitch

Director of Permanent Agriculture Resources and Project Coordinator, responsible for all aspects of planning, coordination, and logistics. Since 1989, he has worked in agroforestry design, management, and education. His projects focus on multipurpose trees that have economic, environmental, and cultural significance. He also directs Agroforestry Net, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to empowering people in agroforestry and ecological resource management. The organization's internationally recognized publications have guided thousands of readers in developing agroforestry systems, ecological restoration, and reforestation on farms, ranches, homegardens, and conservation areas. Publications include Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands (2000), Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree (2003), Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands: Their Culture, Environment, and Use (2006), Noni: The Complete Guide for Consumers and Growers (2006), and Pathways to Abundant Gardens: A Pictorial Guide to Successful Organic Growing (2007).

SPECIALTY CROPS FOR PACIFIC ISLANDS

BY CRAIG R. ELEVITCH (EDITOR)

Specialty crops provide a rapidly growing economic opportunity for farmers and gardeners who are interested in diversifying their crops and who are willing to innovate their production methods, postharvest processing, and marketing. This project promotes high quality food, fiber, and healthcare crops grown in diverse agroforestry systems to provide family farms both subsistence and commercial opportunities.

Farm and Forest Production and Marketing (FFPM) profiles for 32 crops detail essential information for crop development: horticulture and botany; the roles for each crop in mixed-species agroforestry; nutrition and food security; commercial products, product quality standards; location and size of markets; post-harvest processing; opportunities for local value-added processing; and the potential for genetic improvement. 

Download the book chapters below or purchase the book (your purchase helps support our work).

	Bamboo (various species)	Dr. Andrew Benton, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR); Dr. Lex A.J. Thomson, FACT Project, Secretariat of the Pacific Community; Peter Berg and Susan Ruskin, bamboo experts, Hawai'i	(2.1MB PDF)
	Banana & Plantain (Musa spp.)	Jeff Daniells, Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation; Dr. Lois Englberger, Island Food Community of Pohnpei; Adelino S. Lorens, Office of Economic Affairs, Pohnpei	(2.6MB PDF)
	Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)	Dr. Scot C. Nelson, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), UH Manoa; and K.T. Cannon-Eger, agriculturalist	(1.2MB PDF)
	Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)	Dr. Diane Ragone, Breadfruit Institute, National Tropical Botanical Garden	(1.1MB PDF)
	Chili Pepper (Capsicum spp.)	Dr. Hector Valenzuela, Dept. Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH Manoa	(1.2MB PDF)
	Chocolate, Cacao (Theobroma cacao)	Dr. Prakash K. Hebbar, CropBioSol Inc. Crop Management/IPM Consultants, Dr. H.C. 'Skip' Bittenbender, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), UH Manoa; Daniel O'Doherty, CTAHR, UH Manoa	(2.7MB PDF)
	Coconut (Cocos nucifera)	Dr. Mike Foale, University of Queensland; Dr. Hugh Harries, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew	(1.5MB PDF)
	Coffee (Coffea arabica)	Virginia Easton Smith, UH Manoa, Cooperative Extension Service-Kona; Dr. Shawn Steiman, Coffea Consulting; Craig Elevitch, Permanent Agriculture Resources	(1.9MB PDF)
	Giant Swamp Taro (Cyrtosperma chamissonis, syn. C. merkusii)	Dr. Harley Manner, University of Guam, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences	(1.3MB PDF)
	Giant Taro, 'ape (Alocasia macrorrhiza)	Dr. Harley Manner, University of Guam, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences	(1.6MB PDF)
	Ginger (edible) (Zingiber officinale)	Dr. Hector Valenzuela, Dept. Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH Manoa	(1.1MB PDF)
	Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)	Dr. Lorna Tsutsumi, Forestry & Natural Resource Management, UH Hilo; Darcy E. Oishi, Hawaii Department of Agriculture	(1.6MB PDF)
	Kava (Piper methysticum)	Dr. Scot C. Nelson, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), UH Manoa	(1.4MB PDF)
	Koa (Acacia koa)	Dr. JB Friday, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), UH Manoa	(2.8MB PDF)
	Lychee (Litchi chinensis)	Dr. Yan Diczbalis, Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation	(1.1MB PDF)
	Macadamia Nut (Macadamia integrifolia & M. tetraphylla)	Dr. Mike Nagao, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), UH Manoa	(1.5MB PDF)
	Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana)	Dr. Yan Diczbalis, Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation	(1.1MB PDF)
	Moringa (Moringa oleifera)	Dr. Ted Radovich, Dept. Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH Manoa	(0.8MB PDF)
	Pumpkin & Squash (Cucurbita spp.)	Dr. Ted Radovich, Dept. Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH Manoa	(1.5MB PDF)
	Sandalwood (Santalum spp.)	Dr. Lex A.J. Thomson, FACT Project, Secretariat of the Pacific Community; Dr. John Doran, independent consultant; Dr. Danica Harbaugh Reynaud, AuthenTechnologies; Dr. Mark D. Merlin, Botany Department, UH Manoa	(2.8MB PDF)
	Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas)	Dr. Scot C. Nelson, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), UH Manoa	(1.7MB PDF)
	Tamanu, Kamani (Calophyllum inophyllum)	Dr. JB Friday and Dr. Richard Ogoshi, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), UH Manoa	(1.3MB PDF)
	Tannia (Xanthosoma spp.)	Dr. Harley Manner, University of Guam, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences	(1.2MB PDF)
	Taro (Colocasia esculenta)	Dr. Harley Manner, University of Guam, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Dr. Mary Taylor, Secretariat of the Pacific Community	(2.3MB PDF)
	Tea (Camellia sinensis)	Koen den Braber, ADDA Organic Project, Hanoi, Vietnam; Dwight Sato, UH Manoa, Cooperative Extension Service-Hilo; Eva Lee, tea grower and consultant, Volcano, Hawai'i	(2.0MB PDF)
	Vanilla (Vanilla fragrans)	Dr. Janice Y. Uchida, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), UH Manoa	(1.4MB PDF)
	Highlighting value-added strategies Avocado (Persea americana) Citrus (Citrus species) Fig (Ficus carica) 'ohelo berry (Vaccinium reticulatum) Rollinia (Rollinia deliciosa and R. mucosa) Surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora) Yam (Dioscorea alata, D. esculenta, D. bulbifera and d. nummularia)	Craig Elevitch, Permanent Agriculture Resources and Ken Love, tropical fruit consultant	(2.2MB PDF)

Selected References

• Elevitch, Craig. 1996. Working Trees: Enriching Your Farm with Useful Trees, Holualoa, Hawaii.
• Glover, Nancy. Profiles of Select Nitrogen Fixing Trees for Small Farm Planting. NFTA, Waimanalo, Hawaii.
• International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. 1990. Agroforestry Technology Information Kit, IIRR, New York, New York.
• Macklin, Bill et al. 1989. Establishment Guide. NFTA Cooperative Planting Program NFTA, Hawaii.
• Nitrogen Fixing Tree Association. 1989-1994. NFT Highlights. Nitrogen Fixing Tree Association, Morrilton, Arkansas, USA.
• Tripathi, Bansh R. et al. 1992. Alley Farming Training Manual, Volume I: Core Course in Alley Farming, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Diverse, productive landscapes such as this have been removed to make way for cash crops. (photo: C. Elevitch)

Pacific Islanders were once among the most self-sufficient and well-nourished peoples in the world, building their agricultural systems around a diverse base of local tree species. As traditional tree-based agroforestry systems were cut down and replaced with cash crops from colonial times onward, much of the knowledge of local tree species and their many products and uses has been lost. At the same time, the conservation benefits of the trees were also lost. There is now a critical shortage of information about local tree species and their applications in sustainable economic development, resource conservation, and food security.

Protection and planting of these species is critical to supporting the genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity of the region. At the same time, native and traditional trees are essential in meeting human needs in sustainable agriculture and economic development. Agroforestry is a vital aspect of sustainable agriculture in the Pacific. Farmers, ranchers, landholders, and producers increasingly require information on tree species to use for windbreaks, crop shade, soil improvement, water conservation, ornamental uses, livestock fodder, potential niche crops, and other applications. Integrating trees can diversify products and enhance the economic and ecological viability of farm systems. Producers are seeking trees to support and protect crops including tropical fruits, coffee, root crops, medicinals, and livestock.

However, efforts to conserve and plant native trees across the landscape are hamstrung by a shortage of information on native and local tree species. Instead, producers and extension agents are often forced to turn to newly introduced exotic species whose applications and products are well-documented in international literature. Many of these exotics are often untested in the region, unfamiliar to local growers, and difficult to acquire. Emphasizing exotics also poses serious threats to Pacific Island ecosystems through the introduction of potentially invasive plants.

Extension agents in the Pacific Islands stressed in interviews that public interest in agroforestry and tree crops is high or increasing, but needed information on tree species for the region is very scarce. What little information is available is mostly scattered amongst obscure references, mainly of a botanical nature. These fail to provide the kind of detail producers and land users need to make informed decisions about integrating local tree species effectively.

The Traditional Tree Initiative will provide vital information needed to advance sustainable agriculture and economic development while protecting genetic and species diversity. By expanding the planting and conservation of native and traditional trees across the landscape, the Traditional Tree Initiative will:

• Support sustainable agriculture through the promotion of time-tested, locally-appropriate trees for windbreaks, soil conservation, crop shade etc.
• Strengthen traditional tree-based land use practices
• Promote sustainable economic development by providing information on underutilized species and their potential crops
• Enhance the diversity of products and species on agricultural land
• Protect and expand wildlife habitat in agricultural and residential zones
• Enhance knowledge of how to use tree resources sustainably
• Protect the unique culture and ecology of the region
• Counter risks of bioinvasions from introduced exotics by promoting local species
• Conserve the genetic wealth and species diversity of the region by integrating native trees with production

See available species profiles

This project will meet the needs of extension agents, producers, and land users by creating a concise, practical, user-friendly information resource for traditional Pacific Island tree species. Traditional Tree Initiative will produce a series of 6–12 page fact sheets covering fifty of the most important species in the region. Each fact sheet will provide detailed, practical information on products, uses, interplanting applications, environmental requirements, and propagation methods. The fact sheets will be freely available in electronic form via the internet, both in HTML and PDF formats. The fact sheets will also be disseminated in reproducible form and as a searchable CD (with live internet links) to 200 agricultural offices, libraries, and schools in the region

Twenty experts in Pacific Island agroforestry are authoring the species fact sheets, representing expertise from throughout the Pacific. In addition, a panel of fifteen extension agents, producers and other professionals will review the species profiles. Many others will give feedback through an innovative e-mail review process.

Download
Agroforestry Guides for
Pacific Islands

The Project Coordinators have been educators in and practitioners of Pacific Island agroforestry since 1990. Their field experience in a variety of environments coupled with their longstanding commitment to agroforestry extension makes them uniquely qualified to coordinate this project. They recently produced the USDA/SARE-funded publication, Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands, which provides planning information for a number of agroforestry practices. They also publish The Overstory, an electronic information resource for reforestation, conservation, and agroforestry, with subscribers in over 170 countries. The Traditional Tree Initiative’s species fact sheets will be a unique and vital resource for sustainable development in the Pacific Islands.

A solid foundation of locally appropriate, time-tested tree species is essential to sustainable land use in the Pacific Islands. Promoting a diverse array of proven native and traditional species will support the conservation of the unique culture and ecology of the region, instead of threatening these with new and risky introductions. The Traditional Tree Initiative will put vital information for the conservation and expansion of Pacific Island trees at the fingertips of the people who need it most.

Sponsorship

Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry are distributed by agroforestry.net with support from: 

• U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) Program;
• SPC/GTZ Pacific-German Regional Forestry Project;
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS);
• State of Hawai‘i Department of Land & Natural Resources Division of Forestry & Wildlife;
• USDA Forest Service Forest Lands Enhancement Program;
• Kaulunani, an Urban Forestry Program of the Hawai'i DLNR Division of Forestry & Wildlife
• USDA Forest Service; 
• Muriel and Kent Lighter