Kauai Coffee Company is a true coffee estate. From growing the coffee to roasting and packaging, they employ sustainable, environmentally sound practices throughout every step of the process. Above all, they focus on quality, consistency, and authenticity in every bag of coffee that they make.
Kauai Coffee began in the early 1800s as McBryde Sugar Company, one of the first sugar farmers in Hawaiʻi. The transformation from McBryde Sugar Company to Kauai Coffee in 1987 represents Hawaiʻi's largest diversified agricultural project in the previous 50 years. The 3,100-acre farm is the largest coffee estate in the United States.
For Fred Cowell, General Manager at Kauai Coffee Company, producing coffee in a sustainable manner is as much a cultural commitment as it is an environmental one. Mr. Cowell puts care for his employees, Kauai's land, natural resources, and the community at the forefront of every decision. With an ambitious sustainability program in place, Kauai Coffee Company has earned the unique distinction of producing triple-certified Hawaiian coffee. 100% Kauai Coffee® is Fair Trade Certified™, Rainforest Alliance Certified, and Non-GMO Project Verified.
"Our team has worked hard to earn and maintain our sustainability certifications. In the Hawaiian culture, we have a word, kuleana, which means responsibility and stewardship," said Cowell. At Kauai Coffee Company, we feel it is our kuleana to look after our land and resources for those who will follow and honor the contributions of those who came before," he continued.
Kauai Coffee Company's commitment to sustainable farming and soil management isn't just a buzzword. With nearly four million coffee trees, growing responsibly depends on careful stewardship and technology. Drip irrigation reduces water and fertilizer use and eliminates the need to spray or dust the crop. Soil health is another component of Kauai Coffee Company's sustainability program. Each year, more than three million pounds of coffee cherry pulp and mulch are composted and put back into the orchard as a soil nutrient, and the water used to clean and process the beans is filtered and reapplied on the farm.
