Kona Coffee Farmers Battle Invasive Pests, Climate Change, and Federal Fund Uncertainty
March 02 - 2025
Coffee Geography Magazine
The Kona Coffee Farmers Association recently held its annual symposium on Hawaiʻi Island. While the coffee, as always, was delicious, the day’s agenda underscored the mounting challenges facing local farmers who cultivate the beans behind Kona’s world-renowned coffee. From invasive species and climate change to looming uncertainty over federal support, the hurdles are as complex as they are urgent.
Suzanne Shriner, a seasoned coffee farmer, reflected on how much has changed since she first started farming in Kona two decades ago. She mentioned that it used to be very easy, with few pests or diseases, but now there are so many more challenges. Over her 20 years on her South Kona coffee farm, Shriner has witnessed the industry grapple with two major crises. The first was the arrival of the coffee berry borer beetle, an invasive pest identified on Hawaiʻi Island in 2010. This tiny beetle burrows into coffee beans, devouring them from the inside out and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses globally each year. Before 2010, Hawaiʻi was one of the last coffee-growing regions in the world untouched by this destructive pest.
The second blow came in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when coffee leaf rust—a devastating fungal disease—made its debut in the region. The disease damages coffee leaves, impairing the trees’ ability to photosynthesize and produce healthy beans.
The impact was immediate and severe. Shriner estimated that most Kona farmers lost about half their yield in the first harvest season after coffee leaf rust spread. She noted that some growers lost 80% of their crop. Last year, they managed to recover slightly, but this year looks like it’s going to be another tough one.
Compounding these challenges is the uncertainty surrounding federal support for critical research into coffee blight. Shriner, who also serves as the administrator for the Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council, highlighted the precarious situation. The council had received a $6 million federal grant from the USDA to study coffee leaf rust, but a portion of the remaining funds—$2.8 million—was abruptly frozen without explanation. Although a court injunction temporarily unfroze the funds, their long-term status remains unclear once the injunction expires on March 14.
Shriner warned that if that funding is lost, their scientists won’t be able to continue their work on long-term solutions. She emphasized that this research is vital for the survival of the industry.
The cuts extend beyond funding. Staff reductions at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Hilo have further destabilized efforts to combat these threats. According to an anonymous source within the Hilo ARS office, six positions were eliminated, and an entomologist and a geneticist were briefly fired before being reinstated over the weekend. While Shriner expressed relief at their return, she emphasized the toll such instability takes. She mentioned that it’s terrifying for them to be told they’re being fired without cause, only to be left in limbo for weeks, creating a culture of fear that’s hard to watch.
For Shriner and other Kona coffee farmers, these setbacks couldn’t come at a worse time. She stated that they are facing an existential moment, and it’s hard to predict what Kona coffee will look like in 10 years because so much is changing—both within their crops and in the broader world. But they have to save it, as it’s too important to lose.
As the Kona coffee industry navigates these turbulent times, the resilience of its farmers and the urgency of their mission remain clear. The fate of one of Hawaiʻi’s most iconic crops hangs in the balance.