University of Hawaii and the Morrill Act from Medill Washington on Vimeo.
WASHINGTON — It’s the 150th anniversary celebration for the Morrill Act in Washington this week – an act that paved the way for land-grant institutions and agriculture studies.
University of Hawaii President M.R.C. Greenwood used the gathering of college officials and lawmakers to talk about how Hawaii and her university are continuing in the Morrill tradition by promoting food sustainability.
“There are a number of programs in developing new fruits, new crops, and new approaches to agriculture in the state of Hawaii,” Greenwood said.
One modern approach the University of Hawaii uses is aquaponics – the practice of growing plants in water and raising fish. the technique focuses on the most efficient use of limited resources and land.
“We only have a few days of food on the island, so we have to learn to become much more independent,” she said.
But Greenwood said the advances benefit more than just Hawaii.
“Agriculture is related to health but it is also reflected in sustainability, it is related to climate change, energy and urbanization, these are very much modeled in Hawaii as a model for the world.”