HAWAII ULU PRODUCERS COOPERATIVE — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase II: 8.12

Description

PROJECTSUMMARY Project Title: Overcoming Risks to Fully Commercialize Breadfruit Manufacturing and MarketingThroughaCooperativeFrameworktoSupportSmallDiversifiedFarmers PI: ShapiroDana Institution:Hawai'i'UluProducersCooperative Hawai'i'UluProducersCooperative(HUC)isanagriculturalcooperativeinHawai'i with 148current members across fourislandswhooperatesmalldiversifiedfarms.HUC's missionistorevitalizebreadfruit('uluinHawaiian)asaviablecropanddietarystaplefoodby building a sustainable breadfruit industry that supports the economic success of small and mid-sizedfarmsinHawai'i. Theco-opcomprisesthelargestbreadfruitproducergroupinthestate.Asaresultofthe SmallandMid-SizedFarmsPhaseIR&DprojectHUChassuccessfullycommercializedseveral linesofvalue-addedbreadfruitproductsthatarecurrentlyavailableonthemarket.Theproposed PhaseIIprojectwilladvanceHUC'sefforttoscalefrompilottocommercial-levelbreadfruit productionprocessingandmarketingofatleast1millionpoundsperyearaggregatedfrom smalldiversifiedfarms.Commercializationofbreadfruitatthisscalehasnotyetbeenachieved globally. ThePhaseIItechnicalobjectivesaimtoidentifytechnicalsolutionstoextendbreadfruit shelflife post-harvest through scientific research supported by Dr. Noa Lincoln and the UniversityofHawai'iatMānoaIndigenousCroppingSystemsLaboratory;increaseefficiency qualityand capacity of both "wet" and "dry" processing through consultationwithafood manufacturing specialist specialized equipment testing and product analysis by a local microbiologylab;andrefinemarketknowledgethroughqualitativeandquantitativeconsumer survey methods conducted by a professional marketing firm in order to optimize brand messagingandpositionsmallfarmerstomaximizetheirreturns. Project results will have direct relevance for small breadfruit farmers and their communitiesthroughoutHawai'iandelsewhereinthenationandinternationallywherethecrop is or can be grown. More broadly this project supports the wellbeing of Hawaiʻi's rural communitiesandinstitutionsasitcreateseconomicincentivesforimprovedstewardshipofour natural resources while laying the groundwork for a new commercial industry focused on indigenous staple crops that provide long-term food securityhealth and nutrition climate resilienceandculturalrestoration. OneofthekeystoHUC'scompetitivestrategyisthecooperativebusinessmodelwhich supportsadvancementofequityandopportunityforsmallfarmsownedlargelybysociallyand economicallydisadvantagedminoritiesandwomen.Alloftheco-op'smembersaresmall-scale farmsandabout70%areownedbydisadvantagedgroups. OutcomesfromthePhase2projectwillstrengthenHUC'sexistingcorecompetenciesas theco-opscalesupinitsPhaseIIIcommercializationefforts.Oncefullycommercializedin additiontoprofitdistributionsmallfarmerssupplyingtheco-opwillreceive$16-28millionin direct income between 2025-2035 depending oncrop mix harvested. Additional economic contributions toHawai'i'sagriculturalsectorwillresultfromtheinnovationsdevelopedand supportcreationandretentionofatleast200on-farmjobsalongwith30+co-opemployees. 1