HC&S Manager: No Plans To Develop Sugar Lands

Alexander and Baldwin

Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co. is in the middle of a controversial hearing process over water rights in central Maui. The company says it won't survive if the state water commission returns water from its irrigation system to streams.

On May 28, Civil Beat published a story titled "What Rules Maui Water, Law or Sugar?" that discussed the water battle and the potential for the company to use its power to secure water rights even as it transitions away from water-thirsty sugar as its crop.

The article included the company's point of view. After it was published, HC&S General Manager Chris Benjamin became available for an interview and we spoke for nearly an hour by telephone. He answered questions about HC&S's water needs and the company's hope of transitioning from sugar to biofuels. He said the Na Wai Eha case is "a key determinant of long-term sustainability in Hawaii" from both a food and energy standpoint.

And because Benjamin is also the chief financial officer of HC&S parent company Alexander and Baldwin, he was able to talk a little bit about broader development issues in Central Maui and the struggle to keep the sugar business viable in the short-term.

The full 45-minute conversation, transcribed and lightly edited for readability, weighed in at more than 5,000 words. I encourage you to read it, as Benjamin sheds light on a number of important topics, but here's a short wrap-up if you are pressed for time.

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