The sustainable production of coffee, and indeed other crops, is more of a cultural rather than environmental commitment according to the manager of the largest coffee farm in the United States.

Fred Cowell, the General Manager of Kauai Coffee Company on the Pacific Ocean island, Hawaii, says the way a company treats its workers, land and local community is as important as the steps it takes to ensure the health of the environment.

Mr Cowell has been speaking to the International Labour Organization (ILO) as part of a photography project called “Dignity at Work: The American Experience.” 

He met Kevin Cassidy, the Director of the ILO’s office for the United States, at sunrise at the farm he manages on Kauai.
Mr Cassidy began by asking him if the techniques used at the farm were replicable in other parts of the world.