The New York Times again focuses on Kona coffee in the May 14 article "Hawaii's Prized Kona Coffee Fields Have Become a Target for ICE" in which reporter Miriam Jordan article explores the intersection of immigration enforcement and our region's coffee industry.
The article's opening paragraphs beautifully capture what makes our coffee special:
"On the mist-wreathed slopes of Mauna Loa, where the earth is rich with volcanic memory and the Pacific glimmers in the distance, a coveted coffee — Kona — is coaxed from the soil.
Nurtured by the Island of Hawaii's unique mingling of abundant sunshine, afternoon rain and lava-infused soil, Kona coffee retails for more than $30 for an eight-ounce bag."
Beyond these poetic descriptions, the article documents a worrying trend affecting our community. Federal immigration enforcement activities have intensified in the Kona Region, creating anxiety among many coffee workers. According to the article, even workers with proper documentation now hesitate to return for the upcoming harvest season.
This raises serious concerns for our local farms. As August approaches—traditionally the start of our harvest period—many coffee farmers worry they may lack sufficient skilled hands to pick the ripening cherries. Local grower Bruce Cornwell expressed this sentiment directly in the Times, stating, "If we don't have these immigrant workers, our coffee will be hurting."
The timing of these enforcement actions coincides with our coffee industry's ongoing recovery efforts. Just as trees are beginning to flourish again after years of battling Coffee Leaf Rust, this new challenge threatens the workforce essential to bringing our coffee from branch to cup.
The article provides valuable historical context about Hawaii's coffee heritage. It notes that coffee cultivation began here in the 1820s and highlights how an English immigrant, Henry Nicholas Greenwell, earned international recognition for Kona coffee at the 1873 World's Fair in Vienna—a proud moment in our region's agricultural history that continues to inspire today's growers.
The Times reporter explains that smaller family operations—which characterize most of Kona's coffee industry—struggle with the federal agricultural visa program's complexity. This reality underscores State Representative Jeanne Kapela's observation quoted in the article: "The futures of coffee farmers and these workers are tied together, whether we like it or not."
This latest coverage follows The New York Times' February 2024 article highlighting Kona farmers' successful legal battle against coffee counterfeiters, "Victory for Authenticity: Hawaii's Coffee Farmers Combat Kona Bean Counterfeits". While that victory represented progress for authenticity in coffee labeling, this new challenge reminds us that our industry faces multiple threats requiring vigilance and advocacy.