http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/ Coffee Berry Borer Threatens Kona Coffee Crop The Hawaiian coffee growers have appealed directly to a high placed native son for help as the coffee berry borer threatens the coffee crop in the islands. The Kona Coffee Farmers Association and the Hawaii Coffee Association have appealed to both President Barack Obama and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack for more help in defeating an insect pest that has the potential to destroy the Hawaiian coffee crop. The beetle in question was first spotted in Hawaii in 2010 has multiplied into the billions. There are slightly more than 800, mostly small, coffee farms in the islands and they produce a crop valued at $35 million a year. Kona organic coffee is imperiled as well as the rest of the coffee crop. Organic or Synthetic Approaches to Fighting a Beetle Cotton farmers in the Southern United States learned to their dismay many years ago that spraying the heck out of the cotton crop to kill pests could backfire. The insecticide resistant cotton borer beetle destroyed crops because the farmers had removed its natural competitors. Although no one intentionally introduced the beetle into Hawaii the fact that regular coffee is often grown in crowded rows tends to encourage the spread of pests. Growing coffee and other crops out of their natural habitat also upsets the balance of nature. Shade grown organic coffee is grown where birds perch in the trees and are only too happy to help by snacking on insect pests. Let us hope that whatever solution the experts come up with relates to restoring the balance of nature and not adding one more insecticide to what can appear in our morning cup of coffee or kill the birds in the trees.

1. Coffee Berry Borer Threatens
Kona Coffee Crop
By www.buyorganiccoffee.org

2. The Hawaiian coffee growers
have appealed directly to a high
placed native son for help as the
coffee berry borer threatens the
coffee crop in the islands.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

3. The Kona Coffee Farmers
Association and the Hawaii
Coffee Association have
appealed to both President
Barack Obama and
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

4. Agriculture Secretary Thomas
Vilsack for more help in
defeating an insect pest that has
the potential to destroy the
Hawaiian coffee crop.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

5. The beetle in question was first
spotted in Hawaii in 2010 has
multiplied into the billions.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

6. There are slightly more than
800, mostly small, coffee farms
in the islands and they produce
a crop valued at $35 million a
year.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

7. Kona organic coffee is imperiled
as well as the rest of the coffee
crop.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

8. Organic or Synthetic
Approaches to Fighting a Beetle
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

9. Cotton farmers in the Southern
United States learned to their
dismay many years ago that
spraying the heck out of the
cotton crop to kill pests could
backfire.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

10. The insecticide resistant cotton
borer beetle destroyed crops
because the farmers had
removed its natural
competitors.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

11. Although no one intentionally
introduced the beetle into
Hawaii the fact that regular
coffee is often grown in
crowded rows tends to
encourage the spread of pests.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

12. Growing coffee and other crops
out of their natural habitat also
upsets the balance of nature.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

13. Shade grown organic coffee is
grown where birds perch in the
trees and are only too happy to
help by snacking on insect
pests.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

14. Let us hope that whatever
solution the experts come up
with relates to
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

15. restoring the balance of nature
and not adding one more
insecticide to what can appear
in our morning cup of coffee or
kill the birds in the trees.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

16. Trapping the Beetle
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

17. One of the approaches is to bait
traps and catch the beetles as
the coffee berry borer threatens
the Kona coffee crop.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

18. This is an organic approach and
for organic coffee production is
preferable to spraying coffee
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

19. plants with a fungicide which
has been somewhat successful
in reducing the prevalence of
the pest in Latin America.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

20. Currently the coffee berry borer
that threatens the Kona coffee
crop is limited to the Big Island.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

21. Thus quarantine may help
protect the crop on outlying
islands of the Hawaiian chain.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

22. In the meantime we applaud
the trappers and suggest a
bounty on coffee berry borer
beetles.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

23. It Is a Smaller and Smaller
World
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

24. The coffee berry borer that
threatens the Kona coffee crop
is not native to Hawaii.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

25. It got to the island somehow.
Many want to restrict or ban the
import of green coffee beans
from elsewhere in the Hawaiian
Islands.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

26. Even if all green coffee imports
are banned the cat is out of the
bag, so to speak.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

27. A quarantine of the Big Island
makes more sense along with
methods of control based on
sustainable agricultural
practices.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

28. For example, Yellow Fever was
not eliminated from Panama
where it caused so many deaths
by hunting down every
mosquito.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

29. Rather it was by selectively
applying a thin layer or oil to
sources of standing water.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

30. This killed the eggs the
mosquitoes and greatly reduced
the need for spraying.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

31. Learning more about the beetle
and the habitats it likes could
well lead to smart and safe
methods of protection as the
coffee berry borer threatens the
Kona coffee crop.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/

32. After all, our preference is for
safe organic coffee.
http://buyorganiccoffee.org/763/coffee-berry-borer-threatens-kona-coffee-crop/