Ka‘ū News Briefs, Thursday, May 12, 2022

      Oritain was founded in 2008 in New Zealand, and expanded to London, Switzerland, and Australia. On May 3, it announced its first U.S. office in Washington, D.C. Oritain markets itself as the global leader in scientifically proving the origin of products. Its verification underpins brands’ claims around product quality and sustainability, giving them the confidence to communicate these benefits to stakeholders and consumers. Clients include Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Kering, beef, lamb, pork, salmon, honey and apple enterprises, and fiber sources such as COTTON USA and Wools of New Zealand.

     Manfredi, who for many years has locally brokered Kaʻū Coffee and helped organize the Kaʻū Coffee Festival, said, "This partnership will allow us to sample green and roasted coffee to prove its origin. The effort will build Hawai'i coffee traceability and integrity. It is designed to thwart counterfeiting and build marketability. It's important to the industry and consumers to know where coffee is grown and in the case of counterfeiting, where it is not grown. Coffee counterfeiting is the bane of Hawaii-grown coffee. It represents unfair competition to Hawaii's growers. It undermines our pricing and the generations of growers who have contributed to the exceptional quality associated with Hawaii's brands." 

     Oritain uses scientific testing to measure a product's stable isotopes and trace elements to verify origin. The methodology originated in the criminal forensic field and has since been peer-reviewed in scientific journals over the last two decades, says the HCA statement.
    How it Works: A product's origin can be identified by measuring the chemical compositions of plants and animals that vary naturally in the environment. As something is grown, reared or made, it absorbs a unique ratio of elements and isotopes depending on the local temperature, altitude, precipitation, soil conditions, fertilizer and farm practices.
    Oritain runs this data through its statistical models to produce an Origin Fingerprint that it then uses to test subsequent samples as they move through the supply chain. Any samples that are inconsistent with the Origin Fingerprint, have likely been adulterated.
    "Our Hawai'i coffee industry is excited about this project and its possibilities for the future," adds Manfredi. "It will build product trust and boost marketability."
    Oritain CEO Grant Cochrane said, "Hawai'i-grown coffee has earned a world-renowned reputation for its specialty status, farming practices and flavor profile. It is coffee that is unrivaled from anywhere else in the world. However, with such a strong reputation, brings a temptation to cheat by substituting coffee from
other origins and labelling it as Hawaiian. This partnership marks a significant step in deterring this type of behavior by protecting the integrity and reputation of an important specialty crop."

Ka'u Coffee farmers will compete in a statewide cupping  contest, the results revealed at next week's HCA conference.

    In addition to the Oritain presentation, the May 19-21 HCA conference offers educational opportunities, interactive workshops on cupping, roasting and field-grafting; plus talks on soil health, on-farm technology and updates on the latest industry research and legislative issues. 
    Register for the conference at https://hawaiicoffeeassoc.org/page-1771716 . Sponsorship and trade show exhibitor opportunities are available and silent auction donations are welcome.
    Major sponsors of the HCA Conference include state Department of Agriculture, Oritain, American AgCredit, FedEx, Honolulu Coffee Company, Kaua'i Coffee Company, Kona Hills, Monarch Coffee, Satake, Savor Brands, Sustainable Agro Solutions, TricorBraun Flex and UCC Hawai'i.
    The statement from the organization says, "The Hawai'i Coffee Association's mission is to represent all sectors of the Hawai'i coffee industry, including growers, millers, wholesalers, roasters and retailers. The HCA's primary objective is to increase awareness and consumption of Hawai'i-grown coffees. A major component of HCA's work is the continuing education of members and consumers."