Pacific crops refer to agricultural plants cultivated across the Pacific Islands. These include staple foods and plants that were introduced or spread through migration and trade among the islands. Examples of Pacific crops include many indigenous Hawaiian plants like kalo (taro), ‘uala (sweet potato) or ‘ulu (breadfruit) but also include many other perennial edibles like katuk, lau pele (belle spinach), chaya (tree spinach) and Okinawa spinach.  These crops are essential to the diet and culture of various Pacific Island communities and reflect a shared agricultural heritage that spans multiple islands and cultures in the Pacific region.

If you have a question about Pacific crops or have a resource that you would like to see here, please email laura.rieber@hawaii.edu