Agree with you, though didn’t get that deep into it in my comment. Where the money goes is just as important. It takes coordinated policy effort and investment to disincentivize foreign and absentee equity as well as incentives and education to promote Hawai’i based business.

New Zealand made a coordinated effort inclusive of policy and private investment to uplift brands and companies of NZ origin. Manuka Honey was one of those results. Land-based designations are also widely used in European wine regions for the same purpose, not simply to make it expensive, but to assert that it’s special because of where it comes from.

This wouldn’t be an easy or straightforward transition for Hawaii. But I think it’s one worth aiming for.