Tail Wagging the Dog

I've spoken often about the changing nature of farm life here in Kona. The internet has allowed us small farmers to make a living by reaching out directly to our customers. This is a far cry from 10 years ago when we had little choice but to sell to the Big Blenders.

Unfortunately, the Big Blenders still have the ear of our governing bodies. We're trying to change this, one ear at a time. Our voice is a voice for protection of 100% Kona coffee and for the land that it is grown on.

A fellow farmer, Howard Conant, gave me permission to reprint his excellent letter to Lt. Governor Duke Aiona. Thanks Howard! We need every voice we have.....

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Aloha Lt. Governor Aiona,

Thank you for coming to Kona to hear the concerns of coffee farmers like myself. My wife and I have seven acres of organic coffee that we tend full time. We are fully integrated vertically and sell all of our coffee as roasted. I attended the meeting and signed up to speak but time did not permit.

Like most coffee farmers, I supported the Kona Coffee blend/ Truth in Labeling legislation that was in Committee (HB1974 and 2163) in a modified form. And I submitted written testimony.

But the issue I wanted to speak about at Kona Joe's Coffee was the make up and nature of the Kona Coffee industry, and the voice we seem to lack in the Legislature.

There are between 600 and 700 coffee farmers like myself in Kona. I firmly believe that we ARE the Kona Coffee industry along with our local processors. Our largest customers are Hawaii Coffee Co. and Hawaiian Isle Coffee Co. Those two companies are 90% in the international coffee business and do not represent the Kona coffee industry. They are merely our customers.

Those two companies are in Honolulu, have daily access to the capitol, and are able to bend the ear of every legislator. In short they have a big lobbying voice, while we 650 farmers have a small one that is hardly heard.

I think it is wrong for our customers to represent themselves as the Kona coffee industry, and wrong for the executive and legislative branches of Hawaii State government to consider 10% Kona Coffee blenders as the Kona coffee industry. They are marketers of 90% foreign coffee. Clearly suppliers and customers always conflict in their goals and views. Suppliers want the highest price they can achieve, while customers want the lowest price. Considering Hawaii Coffee and Hawaiian Isle Coffee as part of the Kona coffee industry is truly a case of the TAIL WAGGING THE DOG.

Mahalo nui loa.

Howard and Stephanie Conant
Kona Rainforest Coffee