• Food Safety and Quality

  Guidance for taro harvest after flood water exposure?

  Posted by Francesca Scola on March 23, 2026 at 9:52 PM

  Hi everyone,

  In light of the recent flooding here in Hawai?i, we’re looking for input related to kalo (aka taro) and flood exposure.

  As a general rule, we advise growers to not harvest/ discard crops that have come into contact with floodwater. We know this is especially important for crops leafy greens and other low-growing produce. However, taro presents a unique situation. This crop is traditionally cultivated in lo?i systems, where the taro is grown in a wetland environment with water diverted from streams flowing slowly through the growing area. Taro is also grown in dry land systems, which is how growers in our GroupGAP Program are growing there crop– Several farms we work with had their taro fields fully submerged during flooding, but these crops are not scheduled for harvest for another 2–3 months.

  We wanted to see if anyone here has perspectives or guidance on the following:

  • Would it be best practice to fully re-establish the fields after flood exposure, or could a risk-based assessment approach be appropriate, treating conditions similarly to typical lo?i (wetland-style) production?
  • Are there any recommended waiting periods, mitigation steps, or documentation practices specific to kalo or similar root crops in this scenario?

  We have reached out to some other local food safety professionals here in HI as well since they are more familiar with taro production but wanted to throw it out here as well, any input would be appreciated!

  Thanks 🙂

  Francesca Scola replied 1 day, 14 hours ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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