If you farmed Kona coffee in the Kona District and then sold that coffee, you may be entitled to benefits from the Kona Coffee Farmer Class Action Settlement.
BCC Assets LLC d/b/a Boyer’s Coffee (“BCC”), Cameron’s Coffee and Distribution Company (“Cameron’s), Copper Moon Coffee, LLC (“Copper Moon”), Cost Plus Inc. (“Cost Plus”), and Pacific Coffee, Inc., d/b/a Maui Coffee Company (“MCC”), Gold Coffee Roasters, Inc., Costa Rican Gold Coffee Company, Inc., and John Parry (“Gold”), Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco”), and The TJX Companies, Inc. and Marshalls of MA, Inc. (“TJX”) (collectively, the settling defendants) have reportedly agreed to a class action settlement of a class action lawsuit filed against them in the United States District Court, Western District of Washington (at Seattle), styled Corker, et al. v. Costco Wholesale Corp., et al., Class Action Case No. 2:19-cv-00290-RSL, alleging, among other things, that Kona coffee is one of the rarest and most prized coffees in the world that is grown in the Kona District on the Big Island of Hawaii and that certain coffee marketed and/or sold by defendants was falsely advertised and falsely designated coffee as originating from the Kona region in violation of the federal Lanham Act.
The Settling defendants reportedly denied Plaintiffs’ claims for liability and damages.
Who Is Included In The Kona Coffee Farmer Class Action Settlement?
The Kona Coffee Farmer class action settlement reportedly includes, unless otherwise excluded, the following settlement class:
All persons and entities who, between February 27, 2015 and March 9, 2021, farmed Kona coffee in the Kona District and then sold their Kona coffee.
What Settlement Benefits Does The Kona Coffee Farmer Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Provide?
Under the Kona Coffee Farmer lawsuit settlement, the Settling Defendants reportedly agreed to make a total payment of $13,105,750 to be distributed to Settlement Class Members on a pro-rata basis (calculated by Settlement Class Members’ reported sales volumes), less attorneys’ fees and expenses and service awards to the Class Representatives, and less class members’ voluntary contributions for the benefit of the Kona region.
Kona Coffee Farmer settlement class members can submit claims online or via paper claim forms. The claims deadline is reportedly September 25, 2021.
In addition, the settling defendants have agreed to change the label of coffee products labeled as “Kona” or “Kona Blend.”
Where Can You Obtain More Information About The Kona Coffee Farmer Class Action Settlement?
For more information about the Kona Coffee Farmer class action settlement, write to Kona Coffee Farmers Settlement Administrator c/o JND Legal Administration PO Box 91232 Seattle, WA 98111, call 1-833-667-1227, email the settlement administrator at info@KonaCoffeeSettlement.com or visit the Kona Coffee Farmer class action settlement website at https://www.konacoffeesettlement.com/