Pictured: Fair Trade USA™ Partner Kauai Coffee Company’s gift shop
Kauai Coffee Company has been a Fair Trade USA™ partner since 2018, and is both a coffee producer and a brand partner. Kauai sets a high industry standard—and serves as a strong example of what it means to protect planet and people through responsible business and Fair Trade Certification. Kauai holds Hawaiian values at the core of their operations, putting land stewardship and community first. Their use of Fair Trade Community Development Funds has supported several essential local projects, and their commitment to the land protects valuable ecosystems.
Get to know Kauai Coffee Company through our recent Q&A:
How does ‘Āina inspire how you do business and why you chose to partner with Fair Trade USA?
‘Āina is the Hawaiian word for “land”, and translates to “that which feeds.” Connection to the land is essential for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of Native Hawaiians, so the word carries much depth and responsibility. As a coffee grower on Kauai, it is our kuleana (responsibility) to be good stewards of the land so that it will continue to provide for our island community for generations to come.
Maintaining the farm’s Fair Trade Certification is a natural extension of this responsibility. Being Fair Trade Certified™means that our coffee is grown and processed with respect for social, environmental, and economic standards. We provide safe working conditions for our team, follow sustainable practices, and invest Fair Trade Community Development Funds back into our community.
Kauai Coffee has a unique role in the Fair Trade community. What does it mean to you to be both a producer and a brand partner?
Being a producer and a brand partner gives our customers a clear signal that our commitment to caring for the land and our community is not only certified but audited every year. By choosing our 100% Hawaiian Fair Trade Certified coffee, consumers can savor the exceptional flavors of Kauai-grown coffee while actively contributing to the well-being of the Kauai community.
Are there any challenges growing coffee on Kauai?
From changing weather and pests to cost of living and labor shortages, Hawaiian coffee comes with many challenges—but our commitment to sustainable practices is at the heart of everything we do. We understand our role as stewards of our land and farm in a way that minimizes our impact on the environment.
How does Kauai Coffee care for the environment in your farming practices?
In addition to maintaining our certification and investing funds back into the community, Kauai Coffee maintains soil health by adding nutrients from composted cherry pulp and mulch back into the soil every year. We use cover crops to retain moisture and reduce watering, weeds, and herbicide use on the farm. To conserve water during the harvest, we divert water from the drip irrigation system to the processing plant, where it is used to clean and remove the coffee beans from the cherry.
Why did Kauai Coffee decide to go Fair Trade?
We believe in the power of Fair Trade and its ability to transform communities. While our 100% Hawaiian coffee is Fair Trade Certified, being a 100% USA-made product, all of our coffee is grown under working conditions held to the same high standards as the rest of the United States. Our employees receive a full range of benefits for themselves and their families. They are also empowered to address the most significant needs in our community with Fair Trade Community Development Funds. To date, more than $196,400 in community development funds have been distributed to nonprofit community organizations.
Pictured: Harvesting at the Kauai Coffee farm
How does your work and certification impact the surrounding community?
Our community impact is focused on identifying pressing needs and funding strong solutions to address them. To do this, we open up applications for local nonprofits to apply for funds that support their community-centered work. From there, our Fair Trade Committee votes on where support is most aligned with Fair Trade USA standards, and what projects would be most beneficial. This model provides essential funding to nonprofits so that they can use their community knowledge and expertise to provide support where it’s needed the most. Community Development Funds have been used for a variety of projects, including scholarship awards, food pantry support, youth development, and more.
What does the future look like for Kauai Coffee?
The Kauai Coffee Fair Trade Committee has worked to create a plan that addresses our community’s most critical needs while working within our budget and capabilities as a small but mighty team. The committee conducts a community survey every three years to better understand its demographics and needs. Our most recent assessment indicates our school system is an area for improvement.
One of this year’s main goals is to address feedback regarding support for schools in our area. Many of the projects we are considering focus on enhancing different aspects of our local schools. We are committed to continue creating a product that helps support our community, advocates for the importance of land stewardship, and raises the bar for other businesses in the coffee industry.
For more stories from the Fair Trade community, read about our team’s journey to a certified flower farm in Colombia