“You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending”. ~ C.S. Lewis

1. HAWAII – DOUBLING FOOD PRODUCTION BY 2030
THE NAYSAYERS AND THE DOERS
THE SKEPTICS
SPRECKELSVILLE — Saying that the likelihood of Hawaii losing
its outside food sources was low, economist Paul Brewbaker said
Thursday that he didn’t see the point in Gov. David Ige’s initiative
to double the state’s food production by 2030.
Brewbaker said he had nothing against people growing more food,
but he took issue with tax dollars going toward high-risk
agricultural ventures.
“Here’s the dilemma for me: Why is feeding ourselves — who
cares?” Brewbaker asked during a talk at the Maui Country Club.
“When did the food not come to Hawaii? . . . All we do is sit back
and take money from the tourists as they drive down to Wailea. . . .
I’m not sure what event we’re supposed to ensure against when
we’re talking about food security.”
Speaking on economics and sustainability, Brewbaker pointed out
that the state Department of Agriculture itself has very little data on
food production, due to cuts in data-related staff positions that are
just now being restored.
“How do you double food production? Two times I don’t know is I
don’t know,” said Brewbaker, former chief economist for Bank of
Hawaii and now head of consulting firm TZ Economics.
Source: Economist questions Ige’s goal of doubling state’s food
production. Brewbaker's farm futures. By Colleen Uechi. The Maui
News. October 28, 2016, accessed September 22, 2017
http://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2016/10/economist-
questions-iges-goal-of-doubling-states-food-production/
THE BELIEVERS
The Dutch have become world leaders in agricultural innovation,
pioneering new paths to fight hunger.

2. The challenge? Put in bluntly apocalyptic terms, he says, the planet
must produce “more food in the next four decades than all farmers
in history have harvested over the past 8,000 years.”
That’s because by 2050, the Earth will be home to as many as 10
billion people, up from today’s 7.5 billion. If massive increases in
agricultural yield are not achieved, matched by massive decreases
in the use of water and fossil fuels, a billion or more people may
face starvation. Hunger could be the 21st century’s most urgent
problem, and the visionaries working in Food Valley believe they
have found innovative solutions. The wherewithal to stave off
catastrophic famine is within reach, van den Ende insists. [Ernst
van den Ende, Managing Director, Wageningen University &
Research (WUR), Plant Sciences Group].
Almost two decades ago, the Dutch made a national commitment to
sustainable agriculture under the rallying cry “Twice as much food
using half as many resources.” Since 2000, van den Borne and
many of his fellow farmers have reduced dependence on water for
key crops by as much as 90 percent. They’ve almost completely
eliminated the use of chemical pesticides on plants in greenhouses,
and since 2009 Dutch poultry and livestock producers have cut their
use of antibiotics by as much as 60 percent.
The great indoors provides optimal growing conditions for lettuce
and other leafy greens at Siberia B.V. Each acre in the greenhouse
yields as much lettuce as 10 outdoor acres and cuts the need for
chemicals by 97 percent. [Emphasis Supplied]
Source: This Tiny Country Feeds the World. The Netherlands has
become an agricultural giant by showing what the future of farming
could look like. By Frank Viviano. The National Geographic.
September 2017, accessed September 22, 2017
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/09/holland-
agriculture-sustainable-farming/
______________________
HYDOCULTURE vs HYDROPONICSHYDOCULTURE vs HYDROPONICS
Hydroculture is similar to hydroponics in many ways but has a key
difference – instead of using a nutrient solution containing water as a
growing medium, a inorganic solid growing medium (or inert) is used.

3. Why is hydroculture not common in the United States?
This primarily has to do with the supply chain. Growers must have
buyers of their plant material when the crop cycle finishes. Much of
this has to do with lack of knowledge about hydroculture.
Source: Hydroculture: Growing Plants Without Soil Matt Kostelnick,
Senior Horticulturist, Ambius. April 8, 2016, accessed September 22,
2 0 1 7 http://www.ambius.com/blog/hydroculture-growing-plants-
without-soil/
_____________________
SIBERIA B.V. - HORTICULTURE
Siberia BV
Maasbree, North Limburg
The Netherlands
Our method of cultivation is unique and exceptional in many aspects:
• The nine hectare greenhouse is full the whole year round. Each time we harvest a fully
grown plant, we sow a new seed the very same day;
• We harvest precisely what the market needs every day, so we never pick too much
unnecessarily;
• We continually make sure our plants feel ‘happy and contented’, while at the same time
minimising our energy consumption. We inspect the plants every day to check if they
need any extra heat, light or nutrients. This means that a cultivation cycle in winter takes
just one week longer than in summer, even though winter conditions are colder and
more overcast. Our strategy enables highly efficient, year-round production;
• The greenhouse is lit using 100% energy efficient LED lighting. The light spectrum is
adapted to suit the plants so that optimal conditions for growth are created.
• Rainwater that falls onto the roof and surrounding ground is collected and buffered in a
natural water reservoir next to the greenhouse. This water is then purified and used to
irrigate the plants in the greenhouse;
• When the plants are still small, they are close together. As they grow, they are given
more space to spread. This makes optimal use of the available floor space in the
greenhouse, and keeps the energy costs per plant as low as possible;

4. • The entire process - from growing to harvesting - takes place under a single roof. As we
use an automated system of cultivation gutters, no large agricultural machinery is
needed;
• The entire greenhouse runs on 100% green energy from renewable sources;
• The lettuce with root ball can be kept for days longer; this prevents wasting food.
Source: Siberia BV. Accessed September 22, 21017. http://siberiaproduce.com
_____________________
One more reason to marvel: The Netherlands is a small,
densely populated country, with more than 1,300
inhabitants per square mile. It’s bereft of almost every
resource long thought to be necessary for large-scale
agriculture. Yet it’s the globe’s number two exporter of
food as measured by value, second only to the United
States, which has 270 times its landmass.
How on Earth have the Dutch done it?
Source: The National Geographic, cited above
FORWARD, ONWARD HAWAII
HYDROCULTURE FOR DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE
MAKE IT SO