Resilience of breadfruit agro-ecosystems in Hawaiʻi during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic is interrupting domestic and global food supply chains resulting in reduced access to healthy diverse diets. Hawaiʻi has been described as a model social-ecological system and it has been suggested that indigenous agro-ecosystems have the potential to be hig...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: E. H. Berning, C. V. H. Andersen, O. Mertz, N. Dickinson, M. Opgenorth, N. K. Lincoln, J. H. Rashford, N. Rønsted
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: CABI 2022-09-01
Series:CABI Agriculture and Bioscience
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-022-00125-3
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Summary:Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic is interrupting domestic and global food supply chains resulting in reduced access to healthy diverse diets. Hawaiʻi has been described as a model social-ecological system and it has been suggested that indigenous agro-ecosystems have the potential to be highly productive and resilient under changing land-use and climate change disturbance. However, little research has yet been conducted exploring the disruption and resilience of agro-ecosystems in Hawaiʻi caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis; Moraceae) is a signature, multi-purpose-tree of the complex perennial agro-ecosystems systems in Oceania. Methods This case study explores the ways in which the breadfruit agro-ecosystems of Hawaiʻi have shown resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Our study suggests that breadfruit has increased its value as a subsistence crop during the COVID-19 pandemic, even in a developed economy like Hawaiʻi, and that resilience of Hawaiian breadfruit agroe-cosystems during a crisis can be supported through cooperatives and food-hubs.
ISSN:2662-4044