When Del Monte announced it would plant its final crop on Hawaiian soil last month, many predicted it was yet another nail in the coffin of the state's dying agricultural industry. While it is true that export-oriented commodity crops are doomed, the potential for us to use our agricultural capacity has never been greater.

To realize this potential, however, we need to buck conventional wisdom and invest in a future that includes agriculture.

According to the Hawai'i Agricultural Statistics Service, Hawai'i's agricultural farm revenue surpassed $547 million in 2004. Diversified agriculture accounted for 69 percent of farm revenues, followed by pineapple at 19 percent and unprocessed cane sugar with 12 percent. These numbers reflect that our state's innovative farmers are carving out profitable new niche markets, effectively substituting Mainland products with locally produced alternatives.

As diversified agricultural activity in Hawai'i grows, we can help this sector greatly by expanding our notion of crops to include not only proteins, fruits and vegetables, but also energy, building materials, environmental services and watershed management.

For example, in the energy sector, our year-round growing climate makes Hawai'i a prime contender for developing oleo-fuels as a partial substitute for imported fossil fuels, which drain $2.5 billion annually from our economy. With the double whammy of increasing fuel use and diminishing supplies, it is only a matter of time before the economies of local biofuel production become compelling.

Hawai'i's lack of food security mirrors our energy insecurity. Incredibly, Hawai'i maintains less than a seven-day supply of many foods, particularly perishable foods. Although we live in an ideal growing environment, nearly 90 percent of our food is imported. Diversified local production can buffer our food supplies from uncontrollable external forces by reducing our dependency on imported foods and delivering fresher, more flavorful and nutritious alternatives to many Mainland commodity products.

The health and vitality of our state's economy depends much upon the aesthetic contribution and environmental services provided by agricultural activity. While agriculture's direct contribution to the state's economy is a mere fraction of that provided by the visitor industry, it plays a leading role in maintaining Hawai'i's legendary tourism appeal. Visitors are enchanted by the verdant fields that greet them on our Neighbor Islands, paying a premium to experience our rural lifestyle.

Agriculture is inextricably linked to the character of Hawai'i. The early plantation communities brought together peoples and cultures from around the world, creating the distinctive culture of contemporary Hawai'i. Our collective memory is peopled by fields, mills, canneries and a sense of camaraderie born of shared experiences.

Beyond agriculture's considerable cultural importance, we have an opportunity to reinterpret and explore crops and production systems that contribute to Hawai'i in other ways. For example, oilseed crops, such as sunflower and soybeans, can simultaneously provide low emission biodiesel, protein-rich meal for livestock and soil nutrients. Planting endemic trees can serve as a buffer for our sensitive natural areas while providing seed material for rare and endangered Hawaiian species and, ultimately, a source of valuable wood through selective harvesting. Fast-growing crops, such as non-invasive clumping bamboo, can provide building materials while serving as landscaping material and a food source.

As Islanders, we have a deep sense of our interdependency, which is difficult for Mainlanders to comprehend. As Islanders, we know all too well the dangers of relying upon strangers in remote places to care for us in times of war, labor strikes and fuel embargoes.

We also sense that if the world continues on its reckless path, we will one day have to reckon with the consequences of being at the wrong end of a fickle and tenuous lifeline.

How tomorrow plays out will be determined by the investments we make today in an industry that is not only alive, but literally life-giving.

David C. Cole is the chairman, president and CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Co. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.