On Holistic Environment on Maui

For 145+ years sugar cane industry has been in Hawaiʻi. This has and continues to be a problem for the ʻāina and Hawaiʻi people. 'First, sugar takes too much water from the soil. Secondly, farmers burn off old leaves when they cut the canes, which damages the land and harms tiny organisms and nutrients in the soil. 'Thirdly, sugar cane plantations need to be cleared each year, which causes floods because the soil is so damaged.A&B estimates that approximately 115 million gallons of water per day would be needed,but HC&S’ website said that 200 million gallons were used per day.Maui taro farmers and environmentalists have long argued that the plantation’s stream diversions have dried up their taro fields and endangered cultural practices. In 2016 Sugar Plantation on Maui finishes final harvest. The sale of the A&B sugar plantation represented a unique moment for Maui to be freed from its colonial past toward a more diverse and egalitarian economy. But The investors were able to use the language of Environmental Social Governance and sustainable investment to make it appear as if they were facilitating that transition. All the while they were in fact, carrying on the old A&B legacy through their efforts to secure a massively advantageous long-term water contract, at the cost of local stake holders. To move forward with a successful investment, Investment groups should take the following steps:      • An independent Community Benefit Audit Resolution of the water disputes. Recognition of Hawaiian water rights. Productive and transparent engagement on ESG issues in the public square. Engagement with organized labor Engagement with community leaders. Movement toward operations that support the ahupua’a system Reduction of water consumption. Identification of interest aligned sources of capital. Both profits seeking and mission orientated. Partnering on technology and innovation. Bringing innovative technology to the community. We need to look at up and coming biomimicry technology  and go back to land based management systems such as ahupuaʻa for a sustainable Hawaiʻi.Our relationship with the earth involves something more than pragmatic use, academic understanding, or aesthetic appreciation. A truly human intimacy with the earth and with the entire natural world is needed. Support the Podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/samperaltaPodcast co-production and music by Sam Litchfield: samlitchfieldmusic.com Learn more about water on Maui here:https://www.huionawaieha.org/nawaiehainformation