The Independent Voice
“Best Agricultural Newsletter in Hawaii”
Newsletter of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association
May 2024
PO Box 5436 Kailua Kona , Hawaii 96745
www.konacoffeefarmers.org info@konacoffeefarmers.org
Contents
Message from President Petersen
Coffee Labeling Bill Success!!
Macadamia LABELING BILL PASSES CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Genes Defending Coffee Plants Against Devastating Disease
joke
Genome Study Reveals Prehistoric Origins of Coffee
Coffee Berry Borer-Optimizing Location-Specific Pesticide Applications
Live Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle in Waikoloa
Ka’u Coffee Festival Scheduled for June
Hawai`i Tsunami Preparedness
Sports Scientists Address ‘Caffeine Crash’& Other Coffee Questions
Introducing HVO’s New Online Eruption Map
Changing How We Assess Coffee Quality can Help Producers & Roasters
Plamil Foods Unveils Chocolate Bar Made from Coffee Beans
Report: Daily US Coffee Consumption Hits 20 Year High
Recipe – Pumpkin Spice Latte Coffee Cake
Editor – Clare Wilson
Message from President Petersen
Aloha Coffee Farmers,
The 2024 Hawaiian Legislative session will be one to remember as it broke a 30-year curse on efforts to change the blending labeling or advertising law for roasted, instant coffee or ready to drink coffee beverage blends. The bill HB2289 increases the minimum percentage above 10% Kona coffee while using Kona geographical name on the label. The joint House and Senate conference committee agreed to put to a vote a new standard at 51% minimum for geographic origin labeled Hawaiian coffee such as Kona in a blend (HB2298). This new standard is a huge improvement over 10% since at least half of the coffee will now be Kona and there should be enough Kona origin coffee to allow drinkers to taste the clear and distinctive flavor of our coffee. The new standard at 51% will be gradually phased in by 2027.
In Association news, our committees are planning upcoming educational and social events like the Farmer Gatherings held at Kahaluu Beach Park. The promotion and merchandise committee are working towards ideas for new added items for our KCFA store. If you have an idea of an item(s) you think others would want to have with a KCFA logo affixed, please send an email and share your thoughts to info@KonaCoffeeFarmers.org. In addition, we would like to thank the Hawaii Department of Agriculture for funding our grant proposal in the specialty crop grant round that will support our Farmers Symposium held in February-March period in 2025 and 2026.
There are two advocacy events KCFA members will be attending this month. Colehour Bondera will be presenting at a conference in Guadalajara, MX focused on protection of geographical origin products in the international market. Suzanne Shriner at the request of HODA will be in Washington DC with a contingent of various Hawaii Agriculture leaders representing various products to expose topics such as Uniqueness of Hawaii Agriculture, Hawaii’s Agricultural Response to Climate Change , and Biosecurity. The audience will be USDA professionals and Congressional staffers. In addition, extra USDA and Hawaii Delegation meetings will occur.
CLR has been inactive so far on my farm this spring and hopefully your farm is experiencing similar conditions. In service to Kona coffee,
Mahalo nui loa!
Mark Petersen
Coffee Labeling Bill Success!!
We are very pleased to share that HB2298, the coffee labeling bill, has been passed out of the joint House-Senate Conference! It now goes to “Final Reading’ on the House and Senate floor before being sent to Governor Green for signature. We are very close to a long-awaiting change to our blending rules. This is a big win for KCFA and all coffee growers statewide.
The Conference Committee compromised on language and the bill language was amended down from 100% Hawaiian coffee in the bag to allow for 51% blends. As KCFA members know, we have been lobbying for decades to bring the blending law up from the paltry 10% level. We swung big with a legislative goal of 100% Hawaiian coffee in the state (as supported by the Economic Study). We are extremely happy that significant progress has been made. It’s a three-year phase-in, and we will reach 51% in 2027.
While not totally across the finish line yet, we would like to specifically call out the bill’s author Rep. Nicole Lowen, as well as Rep. Kirsten Kahaloa, Sen. Dru Kanuha, and Sen. Tim Richards. All were instrumental in communicating with KCFA and shepherding the language through the grueling session. We also want to thank all of those who have testified, this year and in past years.
MACADAMIA LABELING BILL PASSES CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
HB 2278: Related to Macadamia Labeling passed out of conference committee last
week Wednesday with amendments. The current version of HB 2278 would require
companies selling macadamia nuts from non-Hawaii origins to add a statement to their
package saying: “This product contains macadamia nuts grown outside Hawaii.” The
bill includes a provision exempting products that contain any other ingredient, except
seasonings and flavorings, in addition to macadamia nuts from the labeling
requirements. The effective date of the bill is January 1, 2026.
Nathan Trump, President
Hawaii Macadamia Nut Association
hmnaemail@gmail.com
Genes Defending Coffee Plants Against Devastating Disease
https://coffeetalk.com/daily-
“Arabica coffee, the most economically important coffee globally, accounts for 60% of coffee products worldwide. However, the plants it hails from are vulnerable to a fungal disease called coffee leaf rust, which devastated Sri Lanka’s coffee empire in the 1800s. An international team of researchers co-led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has made a breakthrough that helps protect Arabica plants against this disease. The study, published in Nature Genetics, involved a large consortium of researchers and coffee breeders from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Uganda, and the United States….”
Why do they call coffee “mud”?
Because it was ground just a few minutes ago.
Genome Study Reveals Prehistoric Origins of Coffee
https://www.reuters.com/
“WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) – You might call it a cup of Joe, java, mud, brew, mocha, or your morning jolt. Coffee undoubtedly is a big part of global culture, and the kind made from the Arabica bean is the most appreciated by coffee drinkers.
Researchers now have unlocked the genome of the Arabica species and traced its origins to a natural mating between two other coffee species an estimated 610,000 to one million years ago in the forests of Ethiopia. That makes this species older than our own species Homo sapiens, which arose in Africa about 300,000 years ago…”
The researchers sequenced the genomes of 39 Arabica varieties, including a specimen from the 18th century, to create the highest quality genome to date of this species, whose scientific name is Coffea arabica. They also uncovered a specific region of the genome that may be pivotal for breeding or genetically engineering disease resistance.
Coffee berry borer (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) population dynamics across Hawaii Island’s diverse coffee-growing landscape: optimizing location-specific pesticide applications
Melissa A Johnson, Nicholas C Manoukis
Journal of Economic Entomology, toae061, https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/
“A major challenge to area-wide management of coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) is understanding how a heterogeneous coffee-growing landscape affects coffee berry borer population dynamics across temporal and spatial scales. We examined coffee phenology, weather, coffee berry borer flight activity, infestation, coffee berry borer position within the fruit, and management across 14 commercial coffee farms from 2016 to 2018 on Hawaii Island to characterize variation among districts and elevations. Here we aim to determine whether the timing of pesticide applications might be optimized based on specific locations. We observed larger populations of coffee berry borer at low-elevation farms and in the Kona district compared to mid- and high-elevation farms and the Ka’u district. Temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall all differed significantly across districts and elevations. We also observed a trend of higher fruit production at low-elevation farms compared to high-elevation farms, and differences in the timing of fruit development. Infestation increased with higher pest pressure and air temperatures and reduced fruit availability early and late in the season. Lastly, the timing and number of management interventions varied among..”
Live Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle in Waikoloa
https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/
grubs
“Three live adult coconut rhinoceros beetles (CRB) have been detected in traps in the Waikoloa area on Hawai‘i Island. The captures during the past week were the first detections of adult CRB on the island since six grubs (larvae) were found in October 2023, in a decaying palm tree by a resident in Waikoloa Village.”
“CRB are a serious pest of palm trees, primarily coconut palms, as the adult beetles bore into the crowns of the palms to feed on the tree’s sap. New unopened fronds are damaged in this way and when fully opened, may break and fall unexpectedly. If CRB kill or damage the growing point of the palm, the tree may die. Secondary fungal or bacterial pathogens may also attack the wounds caused by CRB, thereby killing the tree as well. Tree mortality after CRB attack has been reported to be anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent. Dead trees then become a safety hazard as they may fall unexpectedly after the trunk rots, potentially resulting in bodily injury or property damage.
Coconut rhinoceros beetles will feed on many other palm species – including threatened native Hawaiian loulu. They have also been documented attacking other agriculturally and culturally important species including hala, sugarcane, banana, and taro.”
Kau Coffee Festival Scheduled for June
Hawai`i Tsunami Preparedness
https://tinyurl.com/mrypkpvu
All of us should be aware of the danger of tsunamis and be prepared for them.
This VIDEO provides a introduction of how a tsunami is generated, different types of tsunamis, signs of a local tsunami, the tsunami warning system, and how to plan for and respond to a tsunami threat. It was produced by the Hawai’i State Department of Education, Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness Branch.
Sports Scientists Address ‘Caffeine Crash’ and Other Coffee Questions
https://tinyurl.com/2t6afmnw
“A group of sports scientists from throughout the United States and Canada authored a paper addressing 15 common questions asked by exercisers related to caffeine consumption. While many of the questions appear to be geared toward users of caffeine supplements — i.e. caffeine as some sort of performance-enhancing drug — several of them maintain relevance for coffee drinkers of all types.
For example, the researchers ask, “Does caffeine dehydrate you at rest?”
In their summary of existing academic literature addressing the question, the research team said that “moderate daily caffeine doses” (described as 250-300 milligrams) do not appear to increase urine volume in habitual coffee consumers, although higher doses (500 mg or more) may induce acute elevation of urine output.
For reference, the commonly accepted average for the amount of caffeine found in a typical 8-ounce brewed coffee is between about 70-120 mg.
Introducing HVO’s New Online Eruption Map
https://tinyurl.com/2f9cn52t
“Hawaii Volcano Observatory
“The new digital tool is an interactive, browser-based display of map data that can be updated in near-real-time with eruption features, such as lava flows. During the Island of Hawai‘i’s most dramatic eruptions in recent years—in 2018, at Kīlauea, and in 2022, at Mauna Loa—static eruption maps have been released semi-daily as image files posted to HVO’s website. However, there was always a desire to provide a more dynamic, near-real-time digital representation of the data, hence the creation of the web map.”
Changing How We Assess Coffee Quality can Help Producers and Roasters
“Assessing coffee quality is an absolutely essential step in the supply chain. Without
standardised measures of grading and scoring coffee, industry professionals would struggle to communicate key information – and producers may not receive fair prices for their hard work.
For decades now, the Specialty Coffee Association’s 100-point scoring system has been the most commonly used method to evaluate coffee’s sensory characteristics and overall quality. The SCA’s protocol serves an important purpose, creating a universal methodology and shared language for coffee professionals to objectively evaluate quality.
There is still space, however, to explore alternative options. A growing number of companies and organisations in producing countries are seeking to develop their own systems that can help producers retain more value. And as a result of better transparency, roasters can benefit, too..”
Plamil Foods Unveils Chocolate Bar Made from Coffee Beans
https://coffeetalk.com/daily-
“Plamil Foods has launched the world’s first chocolate bar made from whole coffee beans,
offering a smooth texture similar to chocolate. The unique production process, including
carefully selected beans roasted in small batches, captures the flavors of the coffee beans. The launch coincides with rising chocolate prices and global shortages of cocoa beans. Adrian Ling, CEO of Plamil Foods, said that the great taste and smooth mouth feel of the coffee bar are due to the unique production technique. The Coffee Bar will be launched at the London Coffee Festival on 11-14 April and at the Food & Drink Expo on 29 April-1 May. It is expected to be available for customers in the UK at service stations, outdoor sports venues, and traditional retail stores. The Coffee Bar is not expected to replace everyone’s cup of joe anytime soon, but it is a barista-standard snack for busy people who want to enjoy coffee anytime, anywhere.”
Report: Daily US Coffee Consumption Hits 20 Year High
https://tinyurl.com/2mdkaa2d
“Daily coffee consumption is up to a 20-year high among United States adults, with more than two thirds (67%) of people saying they drank coffee within the past day, according to the latest report from the National Coffee Association.
Ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee has jumped to number three on the list of top coffee preparations used within the past day, behind automatic drip and single-cup brewers, and ahead of espresso machines.
The NCA’s semiannual National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) report came on the eve of the
largest gathering of coffee professionals ever expected in the United States, the annual
Specialty Coffee Expo in Chicago, hosted by a separate coffee trade organization, the Specialty Coffee Association.
Farmer to Farmer on FaceBook
KCFA members may ask coffee production, processing, or marketing questions by sending their questions to Shamira, our social media team leader (social@konacoffeefarmers.org)
Recipe – Pumpkin Spice Latte Coffee Cake
Submitted by Sammi Piasecki
Ingredients
Streusel Topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Cake:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup strongly brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- Prepare streusel topping by combining flour, dark brown sugar, espresso powder, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
- Prepare the cake batter by whisking flour, espresso powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Cream butter and white sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in pumpkin puree and vanilla. Stir in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Mix in 1/2 of the cooled coffee and 1/2 of the heavy cream, stirring until just combined. Continue alternating dry ingredients with the coffee and heavy cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Pour 1/2 of the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Measure out 1 cup of the streusel mixture and sprinkle evenly over the batter. Carefully pour the remaining batter over the filling, and gently spread to completely cover. Sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture evenly over the top of the cake.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 55 to 60 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely before serving.
Recipes Wanted! If any of you have recipes that you would like to share, please submit them to the editor: clarewilson98@gmail.com
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! >> Write to us. We welcome Letters to the Editor up to 150 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Include your name and email address >> Email: info@KonaCoffeeFarmers.org with SUBJECT: Commentary.
Suggestion Box
Let us know what you would like to see in our newsletter. Suggestions on what to include or not. What could we do better. Let us know. Clarewilson98@gmail.com
