By TOM CALLIS
By TOM CALLIS
Tribune-Herald staff writer
The state Legislature has taken another step toward adopting labeling protections for Hawaii-grown tea after recently leaving the issue to steep.
The Senate committees of Agriculture, and Economic Development and Technology passed a resolution Monday that requests the formation of a “Hawaii-Grown Tea Working Group” to recommend labeling requirements by 2013 to protect the state’s tea brands.
The eight-member group, which would be headed by University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, is also tasked with developing marketing strategies for the growing industry.
The college had recently finished a study on Hawaii-grown tea, noting its potential of “becoming a specialty corp for the state.”
College interim Dean and Director Sylvia Yuen was out of the office Monday afternoon and couldn’t be reached for comment.
The Senate will next consider the resolution, which also needs approval from the House.
The action came two months after a bill that would have established labeling requirements died in the Senate’s Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee. That bill would have required different labels for tea made solely from tea grown in the state and blends that include some locally grown leaves.
The resolution, on the other hand, would leave it up to the group to study the matter and come up with labeling recommendations.
Eva Lee, a founding member of the Hawaii Tea Society, called it a step in the right direction.
Lee said she didn’t support the original bill because of the two-tier labeling system.
“Our whole intent is 100 percent,” she said.
Tea growing has seen a resurgence over the last decade in the state.
Lee, who operates Tea Hawaii & Co. in Volcano, estimates there are about 10 commercial operations on the Big Island.
Most are only an acre in size and cater to high-end specialty markets that the resolution says will double in the next five years.
Tea growers say they want labeling protections, much like those applied to coffee grown in Kona, to prevent deception on store shelves.
Bob Jacobson, owner of Hawaii Rainforest Tea near Kurtistown, said tea grown here has a “unique taste” that sets it apart from others.
Labelling requirements are needed, he said, to prevent tea with only a dash of leaves produced in the state from calling itself truly Hawaii grown.
“It’s probably some of the best tea available in the world,” he said.
“If somebody tries to sell tea that costs a penny per gram and calls it Hawaii-grown tea, they are cheapening it.”
Lee said labeling requirements also protect consumers.
“When a person is standing in front of a display, you turn the package over and you have no idea where these teas are from,” she said.
Sen. Gilbert Kahele, one of the three sponsors of the resolution, said that tea cultivation has a lot of promise on the Big Island, and should have labelling protections.
“I think this is another industry we want to grow like Kona Coffee,” said Kahele, whose District 2 includes Ka‘u, Hilo and Puna.
“We just want to protect it.”
Members of the group would include of the university, Hawaii Tea Society, state Board of Agriculture, state Business, Economic Development and Tourism Department, the Senate and House, and Hawai‘i Collaborators. Another member would be chosen by the Senate president or House of Representatives speaker.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.