The ʻAwa Agroforest is a syntropic agroforestry system, a method of farming that mimics how a forest grows on its own. Plants go in dense, in rows, and get regularly "disturbed": certain ones get chopped down on purpose and used as mulch to feed the soil and speed up growth in the main crops. That cycle of planting, growing, and chop-and-drop mulching builds fertility with every season.
This system features ʻawa as its primary crop alongside bananas, kalo, sugar cane, fruit trees, and other support plants. Agroforestry in rows like this can be tailored to grow almost anything, built around what each client actually wants and needs. It's healthier for the soil and the plants, and it's one of the clearest paths to large-scale food production in Hawaiʻi that doesn't wear the land out.
Project Highlights
- Syntropic agroforestry system with regular chop-and-drop management
- Primary crop: ʻawa, alongside kalo, bananas, fruit trees, and sugar cane
- Dense planting in rows for scalable production
- Systems tailored to each client's needs and goals
- Holistically healthier for soil and plants
- A model for sustainable large-scale agriculture in Hawaiʻi
Before & After
