Informal rules and norms on Hawaii Island, such as malama 'aina (caring for the land), heavily influence producers’ operations. While these values encourage environmental stewardship and sustainability, they can hinder the adoption of modern agricultural technologies and market-driven solutions. For instance, reliance on trust-based relationships rather than formal contracts can limit producers' ability to scale or access formal markets like retail chains or export buyers. This dynamic is particularly prevalent among smallholders who prefer informal agreements with long-standing buyers, making it challenging to enter new market channels.
The relationship between informal norms and other system functions, such as Industry Governance and Training & Education, is significant. While informal norms provide stability, they contribute to the fragmentation of governance and limit producers' access to necessary training and resources. There is a need for initiatives that bridge the gap between tradition and formal systems, possibly through community-led cooperatives or flexible contracting models that respect cultural values but promote scalability and market access. This would align with efforts to strengthen aggregation and processing capacities, which currently suffer from a lack of formalized partnerships and market coordination.