On the US mainland Safeway has been selling a ‘Safeway Select Kona Blend.’ The label urges consumers to ‘revel in the unmatched taste of savory beans from Hawaii’s Big Island.’
What the label does not indicate is that there is anything other than Kona-grown coffee in the package — or that less than 10% of the contents is, in fact, from Kona.
After Safeway headquarters for months ignored questions from the Kona Coffee Farmers Association (KCFA) and Russell Kokubun, Chairperson of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, the KCFA in July adopted a resolution calling for a nationwide boycott of Safeway Stores until the ‘Safeway Select Kona Blend’ is truthfully labeled.
Rancho Aloha encourages all appreciators of real Kona Coffee to support the KCFA boycott by
- Taking a copy of the Safeway Boycott Resolution to the manager of your local Safeway (or Safeway-owned grocery store including Von’s, Randall’s, Tom Thumb, Genuardi’s, Carr’s, and Dominick’s); and
- Encourage the manager to ask Safeway headquarters to change the label to, at a minimum, disclose the percentage of Kona coffee and the origin of the non-Kona in the package.
For more on this consumer protection and fair marketing issue visit the KCFA website.