HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0421.017 2020-2022 .4 21
From: James Monk
Sent: Monday, November 01, 2021 11:10 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony in support of Resolution 223-21
II -
Please put the following written testimony onto the agenda in
favor of Resolution 2 - :
TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OFftS L Tib � Jl -� heli tee off imp elfin
Dear Hawaii County Council:
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I ask that the Committee support the adoption of Resolution 223-21.
Resolution 223-21 is one of many resolutions the County Council has made regarding coffee blending. This measure has
been requested in f6imal resolutions addressed to the State Legislature by the Hawaii County Council (Resolution 501-14),
the 2oi6 Hawaii County Democratic Convention, and the 2o16 State Democratic Convention. The Democratic Party's 2017
package of legislative priorities recognized that Hawaii.needs to protect the economic interests of its coffee farmers and the
reputation.and integrity of their crops.
In 2007 the Legislature made a factual finding that the current law which allows the marketing of 1o% Hawaii Coffee
Blends "causes fraud and confusion".For more than 25 years consumers of Hawaiian coffees have been confused and
defrauded by blenders of our fine coffees who take our premium coffee and dilute it with coffees from anywhere else in the
world. They then prominently display on the coffee package the name of the coffee they want to highlight—they say, for
example, KONA BLEND,in.large type while somewhere on the package they will show"1o%blend"in much smaller
type. Now I ask you,just how much flavor of that Kona coffee is left in.what they have just purchased? Ina perfect world,
the consumer would recognize they are only buying 1o% of what they think they are buying,but the reality is the average
consumer today fails to connect the dots and is defrauded of the true taste of Kona Coffee. And after tasting it,they say to
themselves—Oh,that Kona coffee isn't anything special. And there goes our reputation.
The blenders who perpetrate this fraud claim they do it because the consumer doesn't want to pay a higher price for the real
stuff. What is really happening is the blenders are taking money right out of the pockets of the farmers and putting it in
theirs--they buy a little bit of Kona coffee and then stuff the package with the cheapest coffee they can find from around the
world. One study I read says this defrauding of the consumer is costing our own coffee farmers over. $10 million a year in
lost revenue! As one of those coffee farmers, I can tell you I would really like my share of that money because it is difficult
to make ends meet being a coffee farmer.
For more than 25 years Hawaii coffee farmers have suffered economic losses and the reputations of Hawaii. coffees have
been damaged because State law permits the use of Hawaii coffee names on packages containing goo foreign-grown.coffee.
Comm. No.. It 1
Ref. o: p G
1 Ref. tete NOV m 3 2021
For more than 25 years Hawaii has been the only region in the world to permit the use of its regional names in labeling one
of its heritage crops (coffee)with only to%genuine content. Can you imagine picking tip a bottle of fine French champagne
and reading somewhere on the package"5.-t% French Champagne with 49%of the contents Coming from Hungary and other
countries"?? Totally unimaginable! But that will be better than.where we are today.
And today the K a'u region on our Island is producing some fine coffees. Their reputation and coffee flavor also needs to be
protected.
I am a. coffee farmer in the Kona region in Hawaii County, and I submit this written testimony in STRONG SUPPORT of
Resolution 223-21.
Respectfully submitted,Jim.Monk
Monk's Delight Kona Coffee