Objective:
This Cooperative Agreement is for the purpose of developing innovative agricultural processes, including value-added bio-based products, including bio-based fuels, novel postharvest technologies, marketing strategies, and appropriate training, that will expand and diversify Hawaii's agriculture and boost exports. While the overall purpose of the project is to integrate agricultural technology and transfer that ultimately lead to increased agricultural productivity, emphasis will be placed on environmentally-acceptable and sustainable methods, which provide an economic benefit to the targeted users. Partnering with other agricultural research components in Hawaii, will combine the needed skills, resources and outreach abilities to make this agreement a success. This agreement will integrate the knowledge-base, expertise, and outreach capabilities provided by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), in conjunction with cooperative efforts of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management (CAFNRM) at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, USDA-ARS-PBARC, and other Federal, State, and industry partners. Specifically, this will provide farmers and other members of the community with new postharvest methods and technology training to increase product value, demonstrate value-added possibilities for by-product usage, reduce postharvest or market losses, improve product marketability, and decrease processing, handling, storage, shipping, or market costs. These goals will also involve university outreach by UH-CTAHR into Hawaii's agricultural communities, and will facilitate a broader understanding, acceptance, and implementation of these new technologies, as well as demonstrating new employment opportunities. Ultimately, one of the key goals of this work should be the minimization of food, fuel, and nutrient (fertilizers, composts, animal manure and feed commodities) imports into the state, and more efficiently utilize Hawaii's natural resources (land areas, soil, water, and solar energy) to increase the market share of local grown products, including renewable energy sources. In addition to developing and/or expanding new markets which will stimulate economic development and improve environmental sustainability, this project will foster new partnerships in research and education, and better serve the expanding diversified agricultural base of Hawaii and the Pacific.

Approach:
The work plan identifies the following major areas of study: 1. Value-added research for postharvest commodities. Development of innovative postharvest production capacity and technological training programs directed toward the above specific objectives, which can be readily adapted to the agricultural needs of Hawaii. These areas of study will be designed to allow scientists unique opportunities in agricultural developmental projects with the resulting novel utilization of postharvest production technologies. It may also provide marketing alternatives for current production systems by demonstrating the utilization of crop residues and highly fibrous agricultural wastes as an enhanced energy and/or higher quality protein product. 2. Agricultural by-product research. Establish and characterize innovative agricultural alternatives that can assist Hawaiian agricultural community revitalization. Develop postharvest processes and technical training for adding value, improving marketability and economic viability, and decreasing the processing, handling, storage, shipping and marketing costs, that contribute to agricultural losses. 3. Providing technology transfer for an agriculturally-sustainable Hawaii. Implementation of selected new technologies and technological training based on site-specific criteria within the Hawaiian agricultural community. Provide outreach activities for USDA-ARS, PBARC, to transfer to Hawaii growers more effective and environmentally sustainable agricultural production systems using the vast land areas that have become available in Hawaii as a result of the demise of the sugar and pineapple industries in recent years. 4. Institutional coordination for maximizing success in a diversifying economy. Integrate expertise and facilitate cooperative efforts between UH Manoa, UH Hilo, USDA-ARS-PBARC, and other Federal and State agencies addressing Hawaii's unique agricultural challenges, and establish partnerships with growers/producers and other industry organizations. Documents SCA with UH-Manoa.