EMPOWERING THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE TROPICAL LIVESTOCK AND MEAT INDUSTRIES THROUGH EDUCATION AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Beef cattle are a crucial component of the state economy and culture. In the last 15 years, the average age of farmworkers has increased by 7 years from 36 to 44 years of age (ERS, 2023). Education and hands-on learning is critical to train the next generation of agricultural workers to better serve the state of Hawaii. Therefore, the overall goal of this proposal is to empower the future of Hawaii's sustainable tropical livestock management and meat production through undergraduate and graduate students, and livestock producers (adult learners) by utilizing education and experiential learning (hands-on) opportunities. We will accomplish this overall objective by completing the following specific objectives:Objective 1: Improve experiential learning for undergraduate and graduate students in sustainable tropical livestock managementObjective 2: Create a sustainable tropical livestock management program for local livestock producers