In 1881, the year King Kalakaua circumnavigated the globe, William Purvis was in Australia, collecting seeds that would grow into the first macadamia nut trees in Hawaii. By the early 1920s, the rich, oily nuts were in commercial production here.

Macadamia nuts are now a $62 million a year industry, the second-most valuable crop in the state (after seed crops) in 2021. Most macadamias in the U.S. come from Hawaii, and the state is the fifth-largest producer of the crop in the world.

Like Hawaii coffee, the macadamia nut’s value is inextricably linked to its provenance. That’s why you’ll find it packaged, marketed and sold to tourists — and locals looking for omiyage — as a premium, uniquely Hawaiian product.

Certainly, it’s in the state’s interest to support this local industry, which is struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and competition from cheaper foreign products. So it’s disconcerting that a bill designed to do just that has stalled in the Senate.

House Bill 1348 would clarify labeling requirements to help consumers determine the geographical origin of the nuts contained in a Hawaii- branded macadamia-nut product.

This seems like a no-brainer. After all, it’s been a common practice for Hawaii’s coffee industry for years, with such labeling as “10% Kona coffee blend.”

But Hawaiian Host Group — owner of the Hawaiian Host, Mauna Loa and KOHO brands — objected, saying HB 1348’s labeling requirements are unreasonably vague and in possible violation of federal laws regulating interstate commerce and trademarks.

Perhaps. At the very least, though, those concerns can be overcome with a more carefully crafted bill.

One critical issue is truth in advertising. The origins of Hawaiian Host brand, the company says, date back to the earliest years of the macadamia nut industry in the islands. The labeling of its products is evocative of those origins. But nowadays, the company’s macadamia nuts come from both local growers and sources outside Hawaii.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with this — lots of Hawaii-themed products contain ingredients from elsewhere — and controlling costs is essential to keep local companies thriving.

In this case, however, there’s a public expectation, assiduously cultivated over many years, that a Hawaii-grown macadamia nut is something special, and worth the premium price. Clearer labeling can help maintain that reputation, allowing local growers to charge enough to support themselves.

The Legislature and the industry need to come up with a solution to make that happen.