HI SCR94

Hawaii coffee growers are urged to form an alliance and establish a voluntary green coffee bean inspection and certification pilot program to verify grade and origin and prevent false claims of Hawaii-grown coffee.

The proposed alliance and pilot program should be modeled after California's Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing program, which uses third-party inspections and annual audits.

The Hawaii Coffee Association is requested to contact all known Hawaii coffee growers to invite participation in the alliance and pilot program with equal representation for both small- and large-scale farmers.

The alliance is requested to report to the Legislature on pilot program progress no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2020.

Certified copies of the resolution are to be transmitted to the Governor, Board of Agriculture Chairperson, Hawaii Coffee Association, and Kona Coffee Farmers Association.