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COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII RESOLUTION NO. 500 14 A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES TO URGE THE HAWAII STATE LEGISLATURE TO ADOPT PROVISIONS FOR TRUTH -IN -LABELING FOR HAWAII -GROWN COFFEES. WHEREAS, on May 26, 2006, the Hawaii State Democratic Party adopted a resolution recommending truth -in -labeling measures for Kona coffee; and WHEREAS, on December 20, 2006, the Hawaii County Council adopted Resolution No. 18-06 requesting the Hawaii State Legislature to revise and clarify Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 486-120.6 and recommend that any coffee labeled "Kona Coffee Blend" shall have a minimum of 75% Kona coffee and shall be labeled accordingly; and WHEREAS, on January 18, 2007, House Bill No. 72, which incorporated the recommendations of Resolution No. 18-06, was introduced in the State House of Representatives, and on January 19, 2007, an identical bill (Senate Bill No. 661) was introduced in the State Senate; and WHEREAS, in January 2007, the Hawaii State Democratic Party made House Bill No. 72 and Senate Bill No. 661 part of the Party's legislative package; and WHEREAS, on April 27, 2007, the Hawaii State Legislature adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 102, SDI, HD 1, which stated, in part, the following: 1. Existing labeling requirements for Kona coffee causes consumer fraud. 2. Existing labeling requirements for Kona coffee degrades the "Kona coffee" name. 3. Confusion as to the difference between Kona coffee and Kona coffee blends caused Consumer Reports magazine to rate Kona coffee as "second rate"; and WHEREAS, on May 3, 2014, the Hawaii County Democratic Party Convention adopted Resolution No. 12 requiring a minimum of 51 % Kona -grown coffee in any coffee package labeled as a "Kona Blend" and prominent identification on the label stating the country or region of origin of the non -Kona portion; and WHEREAS, nowhere on the labels of 10% Kona coffee blends are consumers advised that 90% of the coffee in the packages is imported, foreign -grown coffee; and WHEREAS, the Hawaii State Legislature has not protected the regional coffees grown in the State of Hawaii — the only state in the United States capable of growing coffee for commercial purposes; and