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Kona coffee farmers in Hawaii want the government to require more details on coffee packages that contain blends made with Hawaiian coffee beans.
To date, coffee blends sold in Hawaii containing coffee beans grown in Hawaii have to disclose what percentage of beans is grown within the islands. In order for a coffee to be advertised as Kona, 10% of the beans must be grown in Hawaii. However, the Kona Coffee Farmers Association wants Hawaii State Legislature to approve a bill that will require that the remainder of the coffee beans in the blend be identified.
If the new legislation is passed successfully, a package will have to read 10% Kona coffee/90% Indonesian coffee, as an example.
This bill will be introduced at the end of January and hopes to promote truth in the coffee labeling process to protect the integrity of the ever-popular Kona coffee beans. Since Hawaii is the only state in the US to grow coffee, coffee lovers are willing to pay a higher price for premium Kona coffee beans that are cultivated in a tropical climate with rich volcanic soil.
A pure pound of Kona coffee can cost up to $25 – yet many brands take advantage of this appeal by mislabeling coffee that contains a small percentage of Kona beans in order to drive up the price.
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