Kona coffee

The weather of sunny mornings, clouds or rain in the afternoon, little wind, and mild nights combined with porous, mineral-rich volcanic soil create favorable coffee-growing conditions.

[2]: 9 English merchant Henry Nicholas Greenwell moved to the area and established Kona Coffee as a recognized brand later in the 19th century.

They worked their leased parcels of 5–12 acres (2–5 hectares) as family concerns, producing large, quality crops.

The Kona Coffee Belt is a recognized terroir located on Hualalai Mountain and Mauna Loa, ranging from 500 to 3200 feet above sea level.

The combination was named after Edward T. Fukunaga (1910–1984), who was superintendent of the University of Hawaii's Kona Research Station in Kainaliu in the 1950s through the 1970s.

In 2000 the Department of Agriculture of the State of Hawaii registered a "100% Kona Coffee" certification mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

[10] Administration in regard to this certification mark was handed over by the State Department of Agriculture to the Hawaii Coffee Company, part of Topa Equities Ltd, based in Los Angeles.

[citation needed] Kona coffee farmers launched a class action lawsuit against some of the largest retailers in the United States on February 27, 2019.

Several companies agreed to a settlement in March 2021 totaling more than $13.1 million to benefit Kona coffee farmers.

In October 1996, federal officials in San Francisco indicted Kona Kai Farms executive Michael Norton on wire fraud and money laundering charges.

Although some roadside stands are allowed with special permits, large gift shops in some areas that are zoned agricultural have met local resistance.

[14] Former Mayor of Hawaii County Stephen Yamashiro, who served from 1992 to 2000, is credited with introducing the "100% Kona Coffee" logo and emblem now used by the industry.

Some growers suspected severe drought conditions had reduced the fungus Beauveria bassiana, which might have kept the beetle population under control for years.

[17] By late November 2010, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture declared a quarantine on all green (unroasted) beans leaving the island.

of Agriculture allowed the import and application of a concentrated naturally occurring fungus (Beauveria bassiana) to successfully combat the infestation.