(AP) — A Big Island County Council resolution is asking state lawmakers to restrict the use of Hawaiʻi location names on coffee packaging. The Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald reports the resolution calls for laws that would require coffee blends be at least 51% Hawaiʻi-grown to use local geographic names such as Kona on their labeling. Currently, distributors can use Hawaiʻi names on coffee that has only 10% of beans grown in the named region. Hawaiʻi coffee farmers testified at a meeting on Wednesday that the use of their regional names is limiting profits and damaging their brand.
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