Kona Coffee’s Unique Ecological & Agronomical Profile

Science has not yet proven why certain soil and exposure sites produce finer coffee than others.  We can only point to certain correlations between quality coffee with certain varieties of carefully processed arabica coffee and with origins that include well-drained volcanic soils, higher elevations, and seasonal tropical wet-and-dry climates.

Kona's coffee-growing belt mimics other coffee-growing origins in a way that the rest of Hawaii does not.  Kona faces the setting sun.  It lies on the western slopes of the enormous volcanoes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa. Kona is sheltered by the mountains from the spanking northeasterly trade winds that dominate the climate of the rest of the state, the Kona mountain rains fall from clouds borne on local sea breezes.  The coffee belt occupies ancient Hawaiian agricultural lands that for at least a thousand years supported thousands of Hawaiians on staple crops of taro, sweet potatoes, breadfruit, sugar cane, and bananas.  Coffee was introduced to Kona in the 1820's.

1) Uniquely in Hawaii, the Kona district receives most of its rain in the summer. That replicates the seasons in most of the world's coffee-growing lands.  The clouds that bring rain in the afternoon sea breeze, as they waft upslope, also shelter the coffee from the worst heat of the summer days. The annual rain fall total is 40-60 inches.

2) The coffee-growing belt is tiny by world standards and occupies a very small sector of the larger Kona districts.  It extends north to south for about 30 miles if you include the outlying farms in South Kona, separated by 20th Century lava flows from the main northerly portion of the belt.  Coffee is cultivated between the altitudes of 800 and 2500 feet.  The main coffee belt is scarcely more than a mile wide, owing to the steepness of the mountain slopes.

a. Below 800 feet, it is too dry and hot for coffee to thrive.

b. Above 2500 feet, a natural rain forest naturally prevails, the seasonal rhythm of the rains disappears, and the coffee trees respond by blooming and fruiting all year long, which frustrates practical farming.

c. Elevations above 6000 feet are impractical because they are bone-dry in Hawaii and killing frost sometimes descends as low as 4000 feet.

3) Lava flows form the surface of the Kona coffee belt's land.  Only in the area of Holualoa, has much mineral soil developed on lava flows that date back to the Ice Age.  Elsewhere the coffee often appears to be growing on bare lava, with its roots feeding on the humic soil that accumulates in cracks and voids in the rock.

4) Because of several historical collapses of world coffee prices, and because the steep rocky terrain is laborious to cultivate, capital-intensive plantations have not prevailed in Kona.  The coffee crop has for a century, come from small family holdings.  Today's specialty coffee boom has encouraged more investment in farms where powerful excavators have smoothed the wild lava surface.  But 50 acres remains an exceptionally large farm in Kona, and most of its 700-odd farms comprise fewer than five acres.

5) Professional cuppers report that the higher Kona elevations produce a brighter cup, but in fact, over the years the prize-winning entries in the blind cupping at the annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival include many farms below 1000 feet elevation.

Kona Coffee - Shade Grown, Bird Friendly, and always Fairly Traded

Kona coffee, however, is grown in the United States and our growing methods have no need to change to be described as shade grown, bird friendly, and always fairly traded.

1. Shade Grown in third-world terms, means shade trees have been planted to protect the coffee from the Equatorial sun and to increase yields with an added benefit of protecting the soil.  In Kona, it happens naturally. Our coffee is grown under natural afternoon cloud cover, often interplanted with a mix of fruit, nut, and avocado trees.  Many Kona Coffee orchards have been in production for 100 years or more and continue to be vigorous.
2. Bird Friendly in third-world terms means that farmers have restored the forest canopy and understory as a habitat for migrating birds. In Kona, we have no migratory birds that inhabit coffee growing areas.  Our Kona coffee orchards support large numbers of endemic birds which control insects and provide natural fertilizer. And no pesticides to poison them!
3. Fair Trade in third-world terms means that farmers have been guaranteed a fair price for their crop. In Kona, most of our coffee is grown on family farms, 2-10 acres; we pay and treat our workers in full accordance with U.S. labor laws. Our farmers can sell their coffee to processors, or sell their green and roasted coffee directly to customers all over the world. 

Kona Coffee Labeling Regulations- State of Hawaii

1. Labeling:  If a Hawaiian geographic origin is used in labeling or advertising roasted or instant coffee, the green coffee beans used in that roasted or instant coffee beans and coffee certification must meet the grade standard requirements of rules adopted under chapter 147.
2. Font size:  Provided that the quantity statement is in compliance with all labeling requirements, the quantity statement on the package determines the type size of the identity statement.
   - The type size of the letters or characters in the identity statement shall be at least one and one-half times the type size required for the quantity statement or three-sixteenth inch in height, whichever is smaller.

There are no Federal Requirements

"KONA" name
Only coffee grown in the North and South districts of Kona may use the geographic designation of Kona. The KCFA feels that the use of the word "Kona" in a 10% Kona Blend (90% of which is non-Kona) is abusive.  There are no Federal regulations protecting Kona Coffee.  Anyone outside of Hawaii can use the word “Kona” as they wish- e.g. Kona cream gum.

Kona Coffee Farmer Costs

1. The Kona Coffee farmer farms under the US Department of Agriculture regulations, paying employees a fair wage, adhering to all the rules & regulations.
2. The Kona Coffee farmer is an independent farmer, paying taxes, health insurance, property insurance etc
3. Land is expensive in Hawaii
4. Fuel and fertilizer etc. must be shipped long distances to get to Hawaii.  We have no source here.
5. Labor is expensive because we are far away from labor markets and we pay fair US wages.

Reputation of Kona Coffee  
Kona Coffee is one of the 2 gran Cru coffees of the world.  Its esteemed 180 year history of providing excellence in the cup is tarnished when a consumer picks out a Kona Blend assuming it is a blend of Kona Coffees.

Target Market 
Kona is for the discerning coffee drinker who wants a great cup of coffee every day.  Kona Coffee bought directly from a Farmer, costs less than $.65 per cup. 

The “Kona Blend” Issue
The KCFA is NOT against blending. Blending is a roaster's art to produce just the flavor his customer wants. What the KCFA DOES object to is LABELING of a 90% foreign coffee in a bag as a "Kona blend". It is inherently deceptive to use the “Kona” name for 90% foreign-grown coffee. It is a matter of common sense.

"Kona blend" DOES NOT mean a blend of Kona grown coffees gathered from various coffee farms in Kona. "Kona blend," means the package of coffee you purchase needs legally to contain only 10% Kona coffee. A close search of the package label is needed to find the valuation of "not less that 10% Kona coffee". While buyers may wonder what kind of coffee constitutes the other 90% of the blend, this information is not required to be listed. "Kona blend" is not the same as 100% Kona coffee. Blenders want to use the Kona name because it is regarded as one of the world's best coffees.  In most cases, the added inferior coffee beans have been imported specifically to be mixed at a 9 to 1 ratio with the Kona coffee beans. 90% of the coffee in the bag has been fumigated with chemicals. By law, imported coffee beans must be fumigated with methyl bromide, a pesticide and a toxic material.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is aiming to phase out the use of methyl bromide. Kona coffee beans do not get fumigated. A roasted Kona Blend coffee sells for as much as 100% or more than roasted foreign coffees from Brazil, Indonesia, Africa and Central America, yet contains only 10% Kona. Even a quality Colombian at specialty coffee shops is often $9 a pound. Kona blends on line and in airports are often $18/lb or more. This means compared to 100% Kona Coffee, the profit margin on a Kona blend lures marketers away from quality to achieve profits. Don't be fooled into buying a "Kona blend". If you like your Kona coffee blended, buy 100% Kona and 100% of another quality coffee and do the blend yourself until you get what you prefer.

KCFA Legislative attempts to increase the amount of real Kona Coffee in a Kona Blend, from 10%, have been ongoing via the Hawaii State Legislature.

Legislation has been proposed by the KCFA to:

1. AMEND HRS 486-120.6 to provide that the word "Kona" may not be used on any coffee package label as a brand name or otherwise, including in connection with any "Kona coffee blend", unless at least 75% of the coffee by weight was grown in Kona.
   
2. FURTHER AMEND 486-120.6 to provide that on the packaging of any "Kona coffee blend" the geographic origin and percentage by weight of any United States grown coffee and the country of origin and percentage by weight of any foreign-grown coffee must be prominently identified.

Reasoning:
Based on the Napa Wine regulation (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code, Section 25241 ("Napa Truth-in-Labeling Law");    substantiating that 75% Napa wine must be used in order to carry the “Napa” name and which was taken to the Supreme Court and allowed to stand, the KCFA proposed the same requirement for Kona Blends.

Consequences:
In April 2007 the Hawaii State Legislature made a factual determination that “existing labeling requirements for Kona coffee causes consumer fraud and confusion and degrades the ‘Kona coffee’ name.” (SCR102/SD1/HD1).”

The current state of affairs is that a study has been authorized, by the State Legislature on the market appeal of “Kona Blends” to see if it would be detrimental to Kona Farmers.  The KCFA sees this as a mere “stall” tactic and certainly not valuable. It is being used to avoid dealing with on-going Consumer Fraud.  If there is to be a study, the focus should be on the extent to which the current status quo damages Kona coffee growers economically and degrades the Kona coffee name. For example, given basic principles of supply and demand, to what extent does the estimated annual sale in Hawaii of 5 million pounds of “fake Kona coffee” (i.e., 10% Kona blends) swamp the approximately 3.5 million pounds of coffee grown in Kona each year, depress prices for the genuine article, and lower the income of Kona coffee farmers? What is the cost of the status quo to coffee growers?

We know of no other region anywhere in the world that permits the use of the names of its specialty crops with as little as 10% genuine content. Have you ever seen:

• A 10% Blend of Scotch Whiskey?
• A bag of 10% Idaho Potatoes?
• A 10% Bag of Maui Onions?
• A 10% Napa Wine?

The question is “Why is Hawaii law out-of-step? Why is Hawaii permitting damage to the Kona name, instead of protecting one of the State’s heritage crops?”

Reputation Damage
e.g. Consumer Reports, December 2004 edition, the writers confused "Kona coffee blends" with "Kona coffee" and concluded that Kona coffee can be "second rate" on the basis of a mistaken belief that "Kona blends" are "Kona coffee". ongoing...

Kona Coffee as a Tourist Draw
Many tourists come to the island of Hawaii because they are drawn to Agriculture Tourism and Kona Coffee.
The annual Kona Coffee Festival is the oldest Food Festival in Hawaii and is held annually during early November.  For more information, go to http://konacoffeefest.com/
A  County of Hawaii sponsored Kona Coffee driving map  and coffee farm information may be found here. http://konacoffeefest.com/images/2007/DriveTourMap%2707o.pdf