A Hawaiian nonprofit in He'eia is restoring an old land-management system to grow more local food and protect the community from floods, which is good news for food security and climate resilience on Oahu.

• Kako'o 'Oiwi manages 405 acres in He'eia using the ahupua'a system, the traditional method of managing land and water from the mountains to the sea.
• Hawaii currently imports 90% of its goods, even though the islands once sustainably fed over a million people using these same practices.
• The taro patches (lo'i kalo) do double duty: they grow food and also hold back storm water, trapping sediment and recharging groundwater, which helps protect everyone living downstream.
• The project runs on strong community and multi-generational support, including local elders, Kamehameha Schools, and private foundations, and it sells food to schools and other farmers to help build a local food economy.
• Volunteers of all ages help maintain the land, and leaders encourage people elsewhere to start small, like caring for a local park, to build similar community-based systems in their own neighborhoods.

Outlook: Organizers hope to expand this model to other landowners and communities as a long-term approach to food security and flood resilience.