What is the Hawaii Seal of Quality?
The Hawaii Seal of Quality is a certification of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, granted only after an inspection.
Among the many farm products of Hawaii, it is the state’s mark that a product is genuinely made in Hawaii. The Ka’u coffee from John’s farm carries this certification.
Updated
The conclusion: our Ka'u coffee was certified in October 2020
The Ka’u coffee from John’s farm was certified under the Hawaii Seal of Quality in October 2020. This is a strict certification granted only to products formally recognized by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. Beyond being a product of Hawaii, the coffee must meet set growing standards, be managed by prescribed methods, and pass a detailed examination of everything down to roasting and bagging.
What the green seal means
The green seal is, in effect, a stamp of approval showing that the product passed the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s examination. No matter how good a crop or product is, saying “it is good” ourselves carries little weight. In any business, credibility matters.
Precisely because it is a product from abroad, a crop or product recognized by a public body in its home region gives peace of mind. Wine has a similar system: California wines, for example, carry stickers designed for such certifications. Quality recognized not by ourselves but by a public institution, an outside party, is credibility above all else.
What are the requirements for the Hawaii Seal of Quality?
| Requirement | The Ka'u coffee from John's farm |
|---|---|
| The product originates in Hawaii | Grown only in the Ka'u district of Hawaii Island |
| Fresh farm products are 100% Hawaii-grown | 100% grown in the Ka'u district |
| Processed farm products contain at least 51% Hawaii-grown ingredients | The ingredient is 100% Ka'u coffee |
| Quality meets the export standards set by the State of Hawaii and the trade association | An excellent track record over the past four years |
There are four requirements, and John’s farm met all of them. Source: the article “Hawaii Seal of Quality certification approved!” (October 10, 2020).
Inspection day: a full day at the farm, the roastery and the office
Before the certification, Clarence, an inspector from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, came to the farm (from the article “Proof of safety and high quality: Hawaii Seal of Quality,” September 28, 2020). He came to examine whether the Hawaii Seal of Quality sticker could go on our Ka’u coffee.
The inspection took a full day at three sites, the farm, the roastery and the Kayama LLC office, with questions and close examination at each. Hawaii Island is a big island, and just moving between sites takes time. At the end of the inspector’s long day, his last words to the author of the farm blog (Kayama LLC) were “Pretty good!” It was a happy moment: our everyday effort had been recognized.
Why we could apply: a company duly registered in the State of Hawaii
We could apply because Kayama LLC is a company duly registered in the State of Hawaii. That is why John’s farm, too, cleared the various standards and its coffee became a product whose quality the Hawaii Department of Agriculture formally recognizes. When you see this mark on a product, we hope you will remember the painstaking effort packed into it, from the farm to distribution.
Traceability: who and where
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Farm | Kau Ocean Vista Coffee Estate (P.O. Box 503 Pahala, HI 96777) |
| Farm owner | John Ah San |
| Farm manager | Lori Ah San |
| Quarantine and export on the Hawaii side; quarantine and import on the Japan side | Kayama LLC (Miyuki Lee, representative; State of Hawaii) |
| Planning, promotion and sales in Japan | M.G.K. Inc. (Masashi Yamazaki, representative) |
| Farming | Natural farming without relying on chemical fertilizer (soil analysis, clay spray, perennial peanut ground cover, pollination by bees) |
| Processing | Semi-washed process, sun-dried |
| Quality certification | Hawaii Seal of Quality (certified October 2020) |
Three companies take the coffee from the farm to customers in Japan. Addresses and phone numbers are on the About Us page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ka'u coffee?
Where is the farm?
Where can I buy it?
Taste certified Ka'u coffee
Key Points on This Page
- The Hawaii Seal of Quality is a certification of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, granted only after an inspection.
- The Ka’u coffee from John’s farm was certified in October 2020. The inspection took a full day at three sites: the farm, the roastery and the Kayama LLC office.
- There are four requirements (origin in Hawaii; fresh products 100% Hawaii-grown; processed products at least 51% Hawaii-grown ingredients; quality meeting the export standards), and our coffee meets all of them.
Related article (in Japanese)
English versions of our blog are planned for a later phase. The article below is in Japanese.
- Proof of safety and high quality: Hawaii Seal of Quality: the record of inspection day, September 28, 2020 (Japanese)
Note: the articles “Hawaii Seal of Quality certification approved!” (October 10, 2020) and “Our Ka’u coffee is certified this!!” (October 14, 2020) have been merged into this page.