Kona, Hawaii, United States–From December 6 to 10, 2017 UPF convened a special International Leadership Conference (ILC) for African leaders dedicated to the theme "Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development: The Responsibility of Business Leaders."
Twenty-five high-level African leaders participated, including parliamentarians, tribal chiefs and religious leaders. Kona, Hawaii is known for producing one of the best coffees in the world, Kona coffee. As such, the participants were given the opportunity to visit several coffee farms and coffee processing facilities on the "big island" of Hawaii, and to hear from experts. A highlight was a visit to the Hawaiian Queen Coffee Farm, owned by the Pacific Rim Integral Development Foundation, established by the founders of UPF. The farm overlooks the Pacific Ocean and has 200 acres of coffee plants. Kona coffee is among the finest produced on the "big island" and among the finest in the world. Hawaii’s unique conditions of soil, rainfall, cloud cover and elevation, as well as rigorous quality management, contribute to the unique taste of Kona coffee, and Hawaiian Queen Coffee is one of the very best Kona coffees on the market.
The participants heard presentations from experts such as Mr. Ron Adler, president of the Hawaiian Queen Coffee Farm; Mr. Bruce Brown, president of the Pacific Rim Integral Development Foundation; Mr. Farley Jones, president of the Pacific Rim Educational Foundation; Mr. Roger Kaiwi, president of the Kona Coffee Council; Mr. Adrian Guillen, vice president and CFO of Hawaiian Queen Coffee Farm; and Eunsang Kim, expert consultant. In addition, presentations were offered by Dr. Thomas Walsh, chairman of UPF International; Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, chairman of UPF-North America; Rev. Bakary Camara, chairman of FFWPU-Africa, and Mrs. Tomiko Duggan, director of public affairs, UPF-USA.
The four-day conference offered a model of sustainable development, a business model that can be applied anywhere, and particularly in Africa, where there already exists a long and distinguished history of coffee production. Participants were unanimous in affirming the value of the ILC and were determined to share the knowledge, insight and inspiration they received in Kona with others back in their home countries.