Is Your Cup Of Kona Real? Coffee Growers Want Hawaii To Do More To Protect The Brand 1 Hawaii farmers plan to ask the Legislature to be more aggressive about laws that support the state’s most valuable cash crops.
Coffee from a local fast food joint might seem like an ordinary cup of joe, but according to Victor Lim, a McDonald’s franchise owner, the Golden Arches serves something special: a blend containing coffee from Hawaii’s famed Kona region. And Lim wants to keep it that way.
As legislative lead for the Hawaii Restaurant Association, Lim spearheads the fight against Kona coffee farmers who want tighter labeling laws. The farmers say places like McDonald’s – and coffee roasters and packagers – water down the Kona brand by including just 10% authentic Kona coffee in blends they sell.
The farmers want laws requiring higher percentages for coffee that the state allows to carry the Kona name.
