Sustainable Sourcing and Honua
Sourcing of our ingredients is a massive undertaking at Honua, led by our founder, Kapua Browning. Her goal is to use as many Hawaiian ingredients as is sustainable, and to support up and coming farms and efforts.
We honor the legacy of Hawaiian farmers who care for our land, perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and provide beautiful healing ingredients for us while helping to create a more sustainable Hawaii. Allow us to introduce you to a few of the farms we support.
Meet Hāloa ‘Āina:
They are a Hawaiian family owned business dedicated to restoring the native dryland forest on Hawaii Island. Before their care-taking, the forest was stressed from years of cattle grazing and wild sheep. They helped to remove damaged trees and care for the land and thanks to their efforts, a natural regeneration is returning the forest to its native, pre-ranching condition. They grow our sustainable Hawaiian Sandalwood that works miracles for the skin…but first and foremost they are a native Hawaiian forestry and education organization.
Hō’ola Honey:
They are another wonderful family-owned farm in Kohala. They are on a mission to save Hawaii’s Nalo Meli (honey bees) and have a bee relocation project that we love supporting. They relocated their first colony of honey bees from a water meter box in 2016, and have since grown their Kohala apiary to 70+ hives rescued from across the island. Their bees are happy and busy pollinating local farms & gardens which has created a positive impact throughout the community. Their honey is absolutely amazing and is a testament of all the ALOHA that goes in to the process. Not only do they provide us with beautiful honey for our Moana and 'Āina masks, but are now growing 'Olena which we have been able to use in our 'Olena Oil.
Ho'okua'aina:
Ho‘okua‘āina is a community group on the island of O'ahu that uses ancient Hawaiian traditions of kalo cultivation to engage and improve the lives of today’s youth. Kalo is such an important plant to our Hawaiian people, not only does it provide nutrition, but the traditional cultivation of it helps to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture. We have been donating money, offering our kokua and working on a growth plan, alongside Voyaging Foods for Kalo sourcing and drying in hopes of bringing more money back to Hawaiian farming and agriculture.
Hawaiian Vetiver Farm:
Like our other farms, Hawaiian Vetiver is more than just a business that provides a product. They are dedicated to the continued preservation of our Hawaiian Islands. Vetiver happens to be a plant that helps our environment and eco-system in big ways. It helps with slope stabilization/erosion control, the cleaning of residential and Industrial wastewater, it absorbs toxins into their root systems preventing further contamination of food and water sources and lastly helps with flood prevention and pasture Improvement. Everything Vetiver Farms Hawaii does prioritizes a very small environmental footprint. They cultivate using natural farming and permaculture methods to leave a positive agricultural impact. The result is extremely beautiful vetiver oils and hydrosols and a better Hawaii.
Maiden Hawaii Naturals/Pacific Biodiesel:
We have been working alongside Maiden Hawaii Naturals for the past year to increase local sourcing of Kukui, Sunflower, Macnut Oils and more... they source from a variety of local farms and also began their own farm as well. They support an interconnected sustainability system that’s making a real impact here in Hawaii and beyond. The company was created by Maui-based Pacific Biodiesel, which recycles used cooking oil from restaurants statewide to produce clean biodiesel. In 2017, the founders began farming sunflowers and other crops in Maui’s central valley – and on Earth Day 2019 announced they are operating Maui’s first state-licensed industrial hemp farm, demonstrating a continued commitment to sustainable agriculture and renewable energy for a cleaner, kinder, healthier world.