That’s why researchers at the University of Hawai’i (UH) Mānoa have recently developed an electrifying new program. This project has the potential to revolutionize the way agriculture is monitored statewide. For years, Hawai’i dealt with a debilitating lack of annual ag map continuity. Haonan Chen, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Colorado State University, called this absence of transportation resources a “desert.” These new detailed maps are designed to target food security efforts. Their assistance is particularly important to communities responding to horrific disaster situations, like the recent 2023 Maui wildfires.
Smart Growth America’s research team is stacked with national all-stars from leading institutions. Other prominent members include Chen, as well as Noa Lincoln from UH Mānoa’s Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, Zhengwei Yang from the USDA, and project co-director Zhe Li, another geographer from USDA. Changyong Cao, chief of NOAA’s Satellite Calibration and Data Assimilation Branch, played an integral role in this groundbreaking project.
Addressing Historical Gaps in Agricultural Mapping
Hawai’i, for example, has long suffered from the absence of detailed agricultural maps. These maps are important for highlighting the rich variety of crops produced on the state’s small, fragmented, specialty farms. This lack of transparency has severely limited our ability to allocate resources efficiently and manage disasters effectively. Chen illustrated the challenge agencies faced to measure agricultural impacts following the 2023 Maui wildfires. The scope of their efforts was quickly hampered by limited mapping data.
“This gap in knowledge became especially evident during the 2023 Maui wildfires, when USDA and state agencies had only limited capacity to assess the agricultural impact,” Chen stated. This is the gap that our new mapping initiative seeks to fill. It will directly deliver high-resolution data that farmers, emergency managers, and state agencies can all benefit from.
These initial maps show which crops are planted in 2023 and 2024. On this February 2026 date, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will publish for the 2025 crop year the Hawaiʻi Cropland Data Layer (HCDL). These resources will assist in damage assessment once a disaster has hit. Most importantly, they can be used as powerful tools for assessing wildfire risks before disasters strike.
Enhancing Disaster Response and Resource Allocation
The real world uses of these maps go well beyond just responding to disasters that have already occurred. They represent real opportunities to enhance future responses to national emergencies. These concerns were well-illustrated by Chen’s use of hypothetical cases like the recent wildfires.
Consider a situation similar to the 2023 Maui wildfires: If high-resolution crop maps had been in place, emergency managers could have quickly overlaid fire perimeters with known crop locations to estimate economic losses and identify which producers needed the most help and immediate support, he explained.
Through these maps, we are able to pinpoint cropland areas that are most highly susceptible to environmental hazards such as drought and invasive species. By identifying these hot spots, agencies can better target water use and pesticide control efforts. This forward-looking strategy not only protects communities from environmental harm but enables our area farmers to adopt eco-friendly practices.
Transformative Insights into Sustainable Agriculture
There is the nature of the state itself—in particular, its complicated agricultural landscape—to consider. These challenges underscore the transformative power that accurate crop maps would hold. Zhe Li noted that despite the difficulties in mapping diverse crops cultivated side by side, the insights gained can significantly enhance resource management.
While mapping will only get tougher, detailed, high-resolution crop maps are a treasure trove of data. These new understandings could transform our resource allocation, irrigation planning, invasive species management, and adaptation to changing climates. Li remarked.
With the release of these pioneering maps, a new chapter in agricultural management and stewardship across Hawai’i has begun. As they grow in adoption, they will be an integral part of making food security a reality. They will improve environmental resilience throughout the islands.