Hawaii

Hawaii would seem to be a farmer's paradise, with its warm climate, rich soil, and plentiful rain. But in fact, only 40% of the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in this beautiful island state are produced here. The remaining 60% are shipped to Hawaii from the US mainland and foreign countries. Hawaii produces only 48% of the beef, 36% of the pork, and 32% of the poultry consumed there. Instead of producing vegetable crops for home consumption, much of Hawaii's farmland is devoted to growing sugar cane or pineapples, the island's two main export crops. The only fresh foods in which Hawaii is self-sufficient are milk and eggs. Hawaii's farmers could produce more fresh fruits and vegetables for home consumption, but they can often get higher prices for export crops than for crops grown for Hawaiian consumption. Inefficient transportation among Hawaii's islands also drives up the prices of Hawaiian fruits and vegetables, making them more expensive than those flown in from the US mainland. As long as it is more profitable to export sugar and pineapples than to produce fruits and vegetables for home consumption, Hawaiian farmers will continue to do so.