Over the past two decades, breadfruit (ʻulu) has reemerged as a staple crop of the Pacific with global significance for food security, climate resilience, and the recentering of Indigenous knowledge. This movement has been shaped by a growing series of international Breadfruit Summits, beginning with the 2015 International Breadfruit Conference in Trinidad & Tobago, and expanded in 2017 with the Pacific and Global Breadfruit Summit in Samoa. Hawaiʻi followed in 2018 with the Global Breadfruit, Technology & Health Summit on Oʻahu, deepening the focus on nutrition, processing, and enterprise. The 2023 summit in Rarotonga further centered Pacific leadership and farmer-led innovation, while ongoing regional gatherings across the Pacific, including in Tonga and Maui, continued to translate summit dialogue into lasting, on-the-ground impact.
Hosted in the Moku of Kona on Hawaiʻi Island from September 19-24, 2026, ʻUlu Ho‘olaule‘a is a week-long series of events including a community festival, international conference, gathering of cultural leaders from across the Pacific, and an edible showcase. This extended celebration seeks to bring together farmers, researchers, cultural practitioners, chefs, innovators, youth participation, and community members to exchange knowledge, share skills, and celebrate the resurgence of breadfruit as a Pacific staple with global impact.
Your support is critical to bringing this event to life and helping promote food security throughout Hawai‘i and the Pacific.