Ethiopia: Fed Up With Getting Short-Changed

What's in a name? Ethiopia's battle against Starbucks
Foreign Policy
February 28, 2007

Ethiopia, fed up with getting short-changed when selling its popular coffee products to the West, has been in legal conflict with Starbucks since 2005. Ethiopia complains that while a pound of coffee sold in the United States nets Ethiopian farmers about $1, the same pound of coffee sells for $26 at Starbucks under the name "Shirkina Sun-Dried Sidamo." Ethiopia argues that the high price for its coffee is not just the result of roasting, packaging or marketing in the United States, but because there is something consumers intrinsically value in Ethiopian coffee. Ethiopia is frustrated that it hasn't been able to capitalize on the "intellectual property" of its coffee-producing regions, and wants that to change.

In March 2005, Ethiopia filed a case with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the names of three of its renowned coffee-producing regions (Yirgacheffe, Harrar and Sidamo), hoping that eventually the government will be able to force buyers into licensing agreements and thereby gain a bigger share of the sales. Starbucks, which had already applied to trademark Shirkina Sun-dried Sidamo, has been able to stall Ethiopia's progress by not responding to Ethiopia's request to drop its petition. Starbucks argues that Ethiopia should opt for "geographic certification" (used for Idaho potatoes and Florida oranges) rather than an outright geographic trademark. Ethiopia counters that it just doesn't have the resources to bear the burden of certification, and that it still wouldn't necessarily help Ethiopia earn more from coffee sold in those regions. Starbucks could still sell its Sidamo coffee for the same price—as long as it actually comes from Sidamo.

Starbucks sources only 2 percent of its beans from Ethiopia at the moment, accounting for around 2 percent of the Ethiopia's crop. Nonetheless, if Ethiopia wins its petition, it is likely to earn an extra $88 million in revenues. So for Ethiopia, there's a lot in a name.

Starbucks Responds to Arnold & Porter: Our Information "Was Not Accurate"

A few weeks back, Starbucks Senior VP Dub Hay said on this video that Ethiopia's coffee trademark attempts are illegal.

Bob Winter of Arnold and Porter LLP responds on YouTube to Starbucks talks about coffee farmers in Africa and says that Hay's claim is totally absurd.

You might wonder what Hay would have to say.

Well, a comment posted - as Starbucks Coffee Company - on YouToube reads:

"Since our 1st video was posted, a lot has happened. When we posted that video we felt the information was correct & since we've learned a lot & realized the information about the legality of the trademark was not accurate. Dub & other Starbucks partners recently visited Africa & met with the Ethiopian Govt. We agreed not to oppose Ethiopia's efforts to obtain trademarks for its specialty coffees, Sidamo, Harar/Harrar & Yirgacheffe, & its efforts to create a network of licensed distributors.

"Also, we agreed to work together to help increase Ethiopian farmer incomes and make sure there is a sustainable production of fine coffee. We will continue to strengthen our partnership with them and work to improve the lives of Ethiopian coffee farmers and their families. In fact, we just announced that we will double our purchases from East Africa and open a Farmer Support Center in East Africa.

Thanks,
Matt Murray
Starbucks Coffee Company"

Another viewer thought Starbucks' behaviour was irresponsible and unacceptable. The response comment reads:

"Wonder, does Starbucks intend to compensate Ethiopia for all the harm they caused before they "learned a lot" and realized that they posted a video that over 25,000 people watched that turned out to be, in effect, a lie?Or, no, let me rephrase... just inaccurate...

"If they were "inaccurate" about whether it's legal, I wonder what other statements put out by Starbucks about this whole Ethiopia thing are inaccurate?

"And seriously, if it was just a "whoops" kind of thing, shouldn't someone be losing their job or something? I would think that's what happens when someone talks on behalf of their company in a way that's totally off the wall. Normally it's not people this senior though... Whoops, I goofed and publicly maligned a whole country's policy in front of tens of thousands of people. My bad. "

I agree. How long would it take Starbucks to learn and realize what we already know? Read my comments on Starbucks' disingenious video here.

The difference between Starbucks' retail price of $26/lp and its purchase price of $1.46/lp is $24.54. Who is responsible for this disparity? And when shall the company "realize" that this is not fair?

To watch and read the e-debate begin with Bob Winter' video on YouTube.

Stay tuned, for more on this

NCA Protecting Ethiopian Coffee Farmers?

NCA Says Opposed The Coffee Trademarks to Protect Ethiopian Farmers

In a recent visit to the National Coffee Association (NCA) website, I ran into a welcome message at the front page that reads:

"We serve the public, the coffee industry and our association members."

The overview page elaborates this statement further:

“[Since 1911,]…the NCA has helped American coffee companies through some of the most volatile periods in the nation's history, including two world wars, a depression, a cold war and numerous frosts, strikes and cartels, not to mention a wide range of consumer trends in the U.S. coffee market.

“That success is based on the Association's ability to respond to external issues, wherever and whenever they arise. Whatever issue has impacted the coffee trade, the Association has represented the U.S. coffee industry before the legislative and executive branches of government, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Trade Representative's Office, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Congressional committees. Equally prominent has been the profile of the NCA in the international arena, advancing the American coffee industry before international trading organizations and with more than 50 coffee producing nations as the national voice of the U.S. coffee industry.”

With such clear mission and Starbucks' influence, it is not surprising that the NCA opposed Ethiopia’s coffee trademarking initiative. But the reasoning provided in the official statement, which sounds more sympathetic to the Ethiopian farmers’ problems is interesting.

NCA Statement on Ethiopian Coffee Trademarks reads:

“The National Coffee Association opposed Ethiopia’s attempt to trademark the geographical indicators Sidamo and Harrar (Harar) because such action would jeopardize the supply of these high quality beans and economically harm producers. "

Ethiopia says the trademarking project is a business strategy that would help the coffee farmers to hike themselves out of poverty. When the farmers earn a better price for their quality coffees, they will be encouraged to increase the quality and quantity of their production. This win-win situation also ensures a sustainable supply of coffee while preserving the natural agro-ecology.

The NCA doesn’t see it that way. They offered a home-made prescription adding:

“The NCA is committed to supporting sustainability and a socially responsible industry, and continues to stand by its offer to assist the Ethiopian government develop approaches that appropriately address their concerns.”

The Ethiopians said, “Let’s Have Our Name; We’ll Determine What is Fair!”

Now that each side is made aware of what the other wants, would NCA back off?

Ethiopia Battles Starbucks for Coffee Trademark

Starbucks vs. Ethiopia
The country that gave the world the coffee bean and the company that invented the $4 latte are fighting over a trademark, says Fortune's Stephan Faris.

By Stephan Faris, Fortune
February 26 2007: 5:56 AM EST

(Fortune Magazine) -- To produce a pound of organic sun-dried coffee, farmers in the southern Ethiopian village of Fero spread six pounds of ripe, red coffee cherries onto pallets near their fields. They sun the fruit for 15 days, stirring every few minutes to ensure uniform dryness, then shuck the shells.

Last season, that pound of coffee fetched farmers an average price of $1.45. Figuring in the cost of generator fuel, bank interest, labor and transport across Ethiopia's dusty roads, it netted them less than $1. In the U.S., however, that same pound of coffee commands a much higher price: $26 for a bag of Starbucks' roasted Shirkina Sun-Dried Sidamo.

The price differential, says Getachew Mengistie, head of Ethiopia's Intellectual Property Office, is evidence that his country has been unable to capitalize on what he calls its intellectual property. The Fero coffee is an extreme example, but it's not the only one. Ethiopia's specialty beans routinely retail abroad for three times the price of ordinary coffee.

Getachew, who like most Ethiopians goes by his given name, argues that if the higher rates were simply the product of investments in roasting, packaging or marketing, distributors could do the same with any coffee. Since they don't, he says, some of the extra value must originate where the beans are grown. "There is clearly an intangible value in the specialty coffee of Ethiopia," he says. "But it's not being captured here."

The conflict
That observation put the country that is the birthplace of the coffee bean on a collision course with the company that gave the world the $4 latte. The conflict began in March 2005, when Ethiopia filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the names of three coffee-producing regions: Yirgacheffe, Harrar and Sidamo, where Fero is located.

It was an attempt to use tools usually reserved for corporations in developed economies to wrest profit from their distributors. By seizing control of these brands, the Ethiopian government planned to force those who sell its coffee into licensing agreements, eventually obtaining a larger share of the sales.

But in the case of Sidamo, Starbucks (Charts) had got there first, with an application the year before to trademark Shirkina Sun-Dried Sidamo. Until that application was resolved, Ethiopia's claim could not go forward. The country asked Starbucks to drop its claim but received no answer for more than a year, says Kassahun Ayele, Ethiopia's ambassador to the U.S. at the time: "They said, 'You have to talk to our lawyers.'"

Grinding out success next to Starbucks
The coffee company's objection was to Ethiopia's choice of intellectual-property protection. Trademarking is an unusual, though not unprecedented, choice for a geographic region. It gives the holder the exclusive right to use the name in branding, but it doesn't place any requirements on the product. Instead, Starbucks argues, Ethiopia would be better served by another form of protection, called geographic certification, used for such products as Idaho potatoes, Roquefort cheese and Florida oranges. It guarantees that the product comes from the stated region but allows others to use the name in their branding. Jamaican Blue Mountain and Kona coffees have geographic certifications. "I can't name one case where there are trademarks for coffee," says Dub Hay, senior vice president for coffee and global procurement at Starbucks.

Ethiopia doesn't deny that its choice is unorthodox, countering that its industry, in which 95 percent of the coffee is produced by two million subsistence-level farmers, is too unwieldy and impoverished to take on the administrative burden required to guarantee geographic origin. "If you set up certification, you have to bear the cost," says Ron Layton, head of Light Years IP, a nonprofit intellectual-property consultancy that has been advising Ethiopia.

More to the point, certification wouldn't require distributors to seek permission to use the names in their branding. Starbucks, for instance, could still sell Shirkina Sun-Dried Sidamo, as long as its beans came from the region. "It doesn't give you that control over the market," says Getachew.

To blunt some of the opposition, Ethiopia has said it will not ask for royalties for its trademarked beans. The initial licensing requirements would be simply to label the beans prominently on the package and help in the promotion of Ethiopian coffee. "When demand for Ethiopian coffee grows, we will be able to ask for higher prices," says Getachew. Only if that strategy fails, he says, would other options, such as minimum prices, be pursued.

For Starbucks, the scenario is a potential public relations disaster, pitting the coffee company, which had record revenue of $7.8 billion last year, up 22 percent over 2005, against one of the world's poorest countries. The Seattle company has no shops in Ethiopia or indeed in sub-Saharan Africa, but Starbucks does source 2 percent of its beans from Ethiopia, accounting for 2 percent of the country's crop. It has also spent $2.4 million in investments and loans in Ethiopia since 2002. "We need these coffee farmers to be in business," says Hay.

The farmers
Nobody is arguing that the farmers have it easy. In a UN ranking of human development, Ethiopia placed 170th out of 177 countries. A recent visit to Fero found most coffee farmers working without shoes. Their clothes were ripped. Most live in mud huts with thatched roofs and subsist on the fruits and vegetables they grow. "We are angry," says Teshome Debigo, a 28-year-old farmer. "But to whom can we cry?"

This year the cooperative that manages the Fero farmers' production and sales produced 300,000 pounds of coffee. If the coffee sells as it did last year, each of the cooperative's 2,432 farmers will net about $120 - the total yearly cash earnings for themselves and, on average, four other family members. Another $20 per farmer is captured by the cooperatives and unions, which goes toward infrastructure and administration. Starbucks awards $15,000 to the producers of its premium lines. In Fero that amounts to about $6.20 per farmer.

For some in Ethiopia, the trademark effort is the next step in the fair-trade movement, in which distributors like Starbucks voluntarily set a bottom price for green coffee, allowing farmers to ride out slumps in the commodity price. The added revenue from fair-trade coffee, of which Starbucks is the largest buyer in North America, allowed the farmers in Fero to bring electricity to their village from the power grid 2.5 miles away.

But unlike fair trade or other types of aid, trademarking would not rely on the beneficence of the buyer. According to calculations by Oxfam, which has taken up Ethiopia's cause, if trademarking pushed prices of specialty coffee up 80 cents a pound, Ethiopia would stand to gain $88 million a year. "We don't want help," says Tadese Mesekela, manager of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union. "We want a good price for the coffee."

Gray areas
Ethiopia has registered all three names in Canada and two in both Europe and Japan. But in the U.S., those seeking to trademark geographic names - rather than to certify them - walk a narrow line. Consumers must associate the name with qualities independent of its physical origin. But the word can't be so widely used that it refers to products other than those offered by the holder of the trademark. "Washington State apples" fails the first test. "French fries" would fail the second. The gray areas are broad, and much depends on the persuasiveness of the lawyers and the judgment of the examining attorney. "Everything turns on the way that consumers understand things," says Roger Schechter, a professor at George Washington University Law School.

Ethiopia's three applications are being handled separately, and last summer Yirgacheffe made it through. But Sidamo and Harrar hit stumbling blocks. In June, Starbucks dropped its application for Shirkina Sun-Dried Sidamo, which it says was a limited-time offering. But two weeks earlier the National Coffee Association, a trade group whose government-affairs committee is chaired by Starbucks' Dub Hay, had submitted a letter of protest to the Trademark Office, successfully arguing that the names were commonly used to refer to coffee and thus could not be trademarked. Starbucks says it learned of the letter only later. "There was no committee meeting on this whatsoever," says Hay. Association officials declined to be interviewed, but the organization said in a statement that the matter "was not brought to the attention of the NCA by any of its members."

In November, Starbucks CEO Jim Donald met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zanawi in Addis Ababa but failed to reach an agreement on the trademark issue. "They don't explain what their concerns are," says Getachew.

Ethiopia is appealing the rulings in the U.S. "Nobody says, 'Let's go get a cup of Sidamo' and mean just any coffee," says Roberta Horton, an intellectual-property expert at Arnold & Porter, a Washington, D.C., law firm representing Ethiopia. On February 19, Starbucks announced it would not oppose Ethiopia's trademark efforts. But the company continues to maintain that certification is more appropriate for coffee.

Starbucks says that if Yirgacheffe's trademark is challenged, it too will be canceled. "It's our understanding that the U.S. Patent Office did not know it was a geographic region," says Hay.

Few in Ethiopia understand the intricacies of trademark law, but in a country where coffee accounts for 60 percent of exports, those who sell to Starbucks are spooked. "There are two things we have to think about: the rights of the farmers and the market," says Ashenafi Argaw, export head of the Sidamo Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union, to which Fero's farmers belong. "We'd prefer these things to be resolved smoothly."

The outcome of the case will be closely watched. Ethiopia's Intellectual Property Office has nine more types of coffee it would like to protect, and other countries or industries might be tempted to follow suit. "Anytime you see a picture of a farmer or a member of an indigenous community on a product, it raises the question of what it is that consumers value in it," says Seth Petchers, coffee manager at Oxfam America. Ethiopia's effort could turn out to be just the first drip in a very large pot.

Schultz is Worried About Starbucks Brand but Forgets The People Behind It

Starbucks Union sees the angle missed by Company Chairman Howard Schultz in his memo to a handful of Starbucks senior officials. The Union says, Schultz is Worried About Starbucks Brand but Forgets to Mention Key Factor: Barista Discontent.

I should add that Schultz takes quality coffee for granted. The leaked document is once again an evidence that the Chairman cares less about the people growing the bean. For Schultz, coffee is naturally brown. Starbucks is taking advantage of the farmers and the company's strategic planners have just gotten the green light to feel good about their "Corporate Social Responsibility" as they prepare the forecast for 2008 .

Schultz is Worried About Starbucks Brand but Forgets to Mention Key Factor: Barista Discontent
Starbucks Union
February 24, 2007

Starbucks Gossip published an internal memo from Chairman Howard Schultz reflecting his concern about damage to the Starbucks brand. Schultz forgot to mention how he's imperiled the brand by refusing positive change for baristas and coffee farmers. For example:

- Management refuses to schedule enough workers on the shop floor to meet customer demand leaving baristas exhausted and customers frustrated.

- Customers are becoming increasingly weary of Starbucks disingenuous socially responsibility spin especially its claim to being a leader in employee health care when it actually insure a lower percentage of its workforce than notorious Wal-Mart (47% vs. 42%).

- Wage caps at Starbucks are driving out the senior baristas whom customers know well and appreciate.

- By refusing to sign a voluntary licensing agreement to increase the earnings of Ethiopian coffee farmers, Starbucks undermines its stated commitment to farmers and damages the company's credibility overall.

Reverend Billy's 4th Sidamo Action & Fabulous Worship

Reverend Billy, the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, and Not Buying It Band continue to pressure Starbucks to “let go Sidamo.”

The following message is a call for action for the 4th week in a row.
----------

Sidamo Action & Fabulous Worship

The corporate logo makes you lose your mind and thirst for somebody else's! The pixilated supermodels leave you dopey, forgetful, drifty.

We are consumers now, more than we ever know. It's how the Shopocalypse happens: We Americans are trained not to ask where the products on the shelf come from…When Starbucks puts $26/lb elite coffee in front of us, from "Sidamo – The Birthplace of Coffee," we have starving Sidamo in our fingertips, we feel something might be wrong, but I've got my buzz, let me swipe my card and go.

After trips to Africa, to Virginia, and to The Tombs, your humble pastor feels ready to preach. On March 4th the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir and Not Buying Band present a new gospel song, Sidamo, sung by the soprano Adetola Abiades with music by Katrina Lewis. It starts:

Every morning for a million years I drank you black
Then my hungry child calls out to the dead
Sidamo disappears - it's something Starbucks said

Sidamo! Sidamo! Please come back to me.

March 4, 2007

4:00 p.m.- Starbucks action at Astor Place Cube at 4pm
5:00 p.m. - Fabulous Worship at St. Mark's Church in the Bowery (2nd Ave & 10th)

More info and reservation: Reverendbilly.org

Oxfam responds to the Starbucks-Ethiopia Joint Statement

Starbucks takes step towards recognizing Ethiopian rights to coffee names. Campaigners urge company to follow through.

21 February 2007

BOSTON — International agency Oxfam responded to a joint statement from coffee company Starbucks and the Government of Ethiopia in which Starbucks pledged not to oppose Ethiopian efforts to trademark its coffee names, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo and Harar. While it is a good first step, Oxfam said Starbucks needed to go further and guarantee concrete support for the Ethiopian project, designed to benefit poor producers.

"It's good to see Starbucks finally coming to the table, which they initially refused to do," said Seth Petchers, coffee lead for Oxfam International's Make Trade Fair campaign. "Starbucks now says it won't block the initiative, but what it hasn't said is how it will actively support Ethiopia's stated efforts to obtain trademarks for its coffees which will bring added benefits to poor farmers."

After initially dismissing Ethiopia's plan to trademark its specialty coffees, Starbucks, which came under international pressure from campaigners, has now said it is ready to recognize Ethiopia's right to pursue this path.

Ethiopian officials have said Ethiopia will continue to pursue the trademarking and licensing initiative and hopes to enter in to partnership with Starbucks and other companies through negotiated licensing agreements. These would recognize Ethiopia's ownership of the coffee names and allow them to get a fairer share of the profits for their producers. Ethiopia has obtained a trademark in the US for its Yirgacheffe coffee.

Oxfam and other partners have supported the trademarking initiative as a way to pass down more of the value of coffee sales to poor producers who typically receive a tiny percentage of final sale price, and struggle to make a living.

On February 15 Starbucks announced initiatives to benefit coffee farmers in Ethiopia including funding for a quality improvement project and increased coffee purchases in East Africa. While the additional purchases and support are beneficial, these initiatives fail to address the fundamental rights issue at hand. What the Ethiopians have asked coffee roasters to do is recognize Ethiopia's right to control and share in the value of the country's specialty coffee names through trademarks.

"As a market leader, Starbucks should take concrete steps that the Ethiopian government has called for, including reaching an agreement that recognizes Ethiopia's legal ownership of its coffee names," continued Petchers.

For more information, contact:
Helen DaSilva, Press Officer
617-728-2409
617-331-2984 (mobile)
hdasilva@oxfamamerica.org

Decoding the ploy: Starbucks-Ethiopia joint statement

Last week’s 4th East Africa Fine Coffee Association (EAFCA) conference was the latest venue for the ongoing dispute between Ethiopia and Starbucks. Though not on the agenda, this was probably the most widely discussed issue by conference attendees in Addis Ababa.

Starbucks continued to reject Ethiopia’s request to acknowledge its ownership of its coffee marks. At the same time, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and several others announced that they accept Ethiopia’s position and are in the process of formalizing this acceptance.

Starbucks senior officials led by two VPs, Dub Hay and Sandra Taylor, accompanied by Rosa Whitaker, founder of Rosa Whitaker Associates, a Washington-based lobbying group, maintained the company’s opposition to Ethiopia’s trademark efforts, meeting with senior Government officials and issuing press releases. Whitaker is a former senior US Government trade official under both Presidents Clinton and Bush who now uses her expertise on behalf of Starbucks and others. In an Ethiopian TV interview, she repeated the company position that geographical indicators were better for Ethiopia than trademarks.

Should Ethiopia, a seller of coffee, take advice from a company that wants to buy its coffee as cheaply as possible, so its profits can be as high as possible? Does anyone really believe that Starbucks has Ethiopia’s best interests at heart?

After the conference ended, negotiations between Ethiopia and Starbucks continued. Starbucks has reason for worry. Other African coffee producers expressed solidarity with Ethiopia on trademarks, indicating that this is not the last that Starbucks will hear on the subject. Farmers in all of Africa’s coffee producing countries live in poverty while Starbucks reports steadily rising profits. They are all closely watching Ethiopia’s confrontation with Starbucks.

At the end of the week, a Starbucks-Ethiopia joint press statement made it out to the press. Starbucks has widely circulated this document on its website and through emails. The desired outcome is misleading the unsuspecting public. The joint press release from Ethiopia and Starbucks, no matter how tactfully drafted, shows that Starbucks has not changed its position. It is disappointing that Ethiopia would put its name on this release, which leaves the misleading impression that it has accepted Starbucks’ rejection of its trademarks. Of course, Ethiopia cannot force Starbucks to accept the trademarks. But was it necessary to publicly accept this rejection? Wouldn’t it have been better to issue separate statements?

This outcome looks like a public relations victory for Starbucks. The company said it would no longer oppose Ethiopia’s trade mark applications, which it has aggressively done, and denied. It has offered charity and some technical assistance to buy good will, and made promises to buy more coffee in Ethiopia. It claims to have the welfare of the farmers in mind. If it really had the farmers in mind, it would pay them a fair price based on what they sell the coffee to their customers.

Will Starbucks buy more coffee from Ethiopia? Starbucks refuses to reveal how much coffee it buys from Ethiopia today, and since it buys through third parties, it is impossible to know the quantity. It will be impossible to verify a claim that they increased their purchases. In other words, Starbucks is making an empty, unverifiable promise.

Starbucks says it will support technical assistance to improve the quality of the coffee produced in Ethiopia. But this will help Starbucks more than it will help the farmers. Starbucks is expanding and needs more high quality coffee. It will make big profits if the farmers increase their production of this coffee. The farmers, however, will continue to get the same small percent of the profits. It is unacceptable that Ethiopia would put its name on such a press release. Still, it should issue its own press release with an account of what has - and hasn’t - gone right. But what has exactly happened last week?

Starbucks’ carrot-stick approach

Dub Hay, senior VP, delivered the keynote speech at the 4th EAFCA conference. Despite the outcry by the major coffee growing African countries gathered for the conference, the company refused to acknowledge Ethiopia’s ownership of its own coffee brands.

Throughout last week, Starbucks’ officials have been engaged in a PR campaign promoting their carrot-stick incentive packages.

Hay announced a six point incentive package, which Starbucks hoped would dissuade the growing criticism against the company. Through the press release issued just before the conference opening in Addis Ababa, Starbucks promised to double its purchases from East Africa – currently 6% - by 2009, supporting the humanitarian organization CARE, supporting adult literacy and women training programs, coffee quality assurance program (Farmer Support Center), and make affordable credit available for farmers.

This announcement was Starbucks’ customary tactic to appease its critics. The EAFCA conference participants – over 300 of them altogether – were not convinced either. They appreciated Starbucks’ promise to increase the volume of its coffee purchase but expressed their dismay at the company for inconsiderately ignoring their plea for increased price. During his keynote speech, Hay preferred to take the attention away. He said,

"We have listened very carefully to you and what you need. The first commitment we want to make today is that we will double our purchase from east Africa in the next two years.”

Coffee producers want Ethiopia to own its trademarks

On the same day, the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) convened the first meeting with the trademark stakeholders - cooperatives, exporters government bodies, and US and Canadian specialty coffee businesses who have acknowledged Ethiopia’s right to Trademark its coffee marks, Harar, Sidamo, and Yirgacheffe. The group vowed to work together for “a new type of commercial North-South collaboration – a Network of Licensed Distributors working directly with the coffee stakeholders in Ethiopia.”

Meanwhile, the conference proceedings and sideline discussions were dominated by talks about the ongoing dispute between Starbucks and Ethiopia. Starbucks’ opposition of the innovative approach taken by Ethiopia to register its finest coffee marks and thereby aim at increasing the farmers’ share in the retail price angered many participants. Major African coffee growers quickly took side and backed Ethiopia saying securing the protection rights could lift millions from poverty.

The Whitaker factor

Outside the conference, Rosa Whitaker defended Starbucks’ actions against Ethiopia’s trademark initiative on the Ethiopian Television show Meet ETV. Whitaker said that she supports GI (certification); that she's seen it work. Further she argued that the only way a country can increase income and get out of poverty is by adding value to their primary exports. Evidently, this is aimed at negating the underlying reasons for Ethiopia’s trademarking efforts.

The bottom-line

Starbucks delegation led by Hay met officials of the ministries of agriculture and rural development, trade and industry, finance and economic development as well as the EIPO.

Later on Friday, Hay held a press conference at the Sheraton Addis with local and foreign journalists. His carefully worded announcement was so misleading that the media interpreted it differently.

Hay told the press that "It is Ethiopians' absolute right to take the course they think it is best for Ethiopia. And we will not oppose that." This statement is misleading. Starbucks has worked with their lobbying group National Coffee Association (NCA) who filed a protest at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) opposing Ethiopia’s trademark applications. The opposition is filed in 2006 and there is nothing else for Starbucks not to oppose now.

The public is demanding Starbucks to support the Ethiopian farmers by signing the licensing agreement acknowledging Ethiopia’s ownership of the marks. Mr. Hay responded by saying, "We agreed how we can help to promote Ethiopian products in our stores and to continue the ongoing dialogue. Nothing has been signed. We did not come with the mission to reach an agreement."

Starbucks’ tactic continues to be confusing the public by issuing misleading information. Last year, Starbucks announced on its press release issued in reference to the meeting between Jim Donald, Starbucks CEO and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, that they reached an agreement with Ethiopia. In fact, the meeting ended without any agreement, thus the need for this second round attempt.

So what is it that they agreed on this time around? According to this report, “they had agreed to work with the Ethiopian government to promote Ethiopian value added products like tea and textile and to continue the ongoing dialogue.” This is in line with Ms. Whitaker’s suggested solution.

While the company’s non-binding offer to promote Ethiopia’s value added products is appreciated, the odd mix up of coffee and textile is curious. The government’s take on this is not clear.

Starbucks has not changed its position against Ethiopia’s coffee marks. Its tagline of “continue the ongoing dialogue” manifests that the company continues to drag its foot.

When asked what would happen if Ethiopia succeeded in trade marking its coffee marks, Starbucks representatives said, according to this report, they did not know the implications adding speculations would harm the ongoing dialogue. And this is the stick – Starbucks’ long-standing ally.

Starbucks' Coffee Conundrum

Starbucks’ recent offerings to the East African coffee growers - and Ethiopians in particular - are the company’s responses to its fair trade critics, not to the trademark dispute. The company has not softened its stance against Ethiopia’s trademark initiative.

The analysis by The Montley Fool explains the current development.

Starbucks' Coffee Conundrum
Alyce Lomax
February 20, 2007

Starbucks has found itself in the midst of a quandary about its dealings with Ethiopia. After a high-profile trademark dispute, the coffee giant appears to be making concessions regarding a complex issue, one it had little choice but to address.

Ethiopia, which produces high-quality coffee beans, has claimed that Starbucks has been seeking to block its attempts to trademark its coffee; it believes trademarks could get it better prices. Some claim that approximately $90 million in potential income to poor farmers has been lost because of the lack of trademarks, and that the prices Ethiopian farmers get for premium beans still leave them impoverished. Following that idea to its logical conclusion, critics point out Starbucks' robust profits, and the lofty prices it commands for selling brew made with premium beans.

Speaking of critics, last year saw the release of a scathing documentary, Black Gold: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, describing troubling elements of the international coffee industry. The movie also delves into Fair Trade, a movement to pay better-than-market prices for commodities like coffee -- a price hike many consumers are willing to bear.

Starbucks seems to be softening its stance in the wake of the criticism. It plans to double its purchases of East African coffee from 6% to 12% by 2009, and increase purchases from Ethiopia specifically. It will also provide $1 million in microfinancing loans to poor farmers in the region, while funding farmer support centers as well. The company also pointed out that it already has its C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices in place to ensure socially responsible coffee buying.

Despite those efforts, it's hard to ignore the deal Starbucks rival Green Mountain Coffee Roasters recently made with Ethiopia, in which it pledged to recognize the country's coffee brands.

Starbucks had little choice but to address this thorny, high-profile issue. The company has built its brand around being a different, more socially responsible kind of company, and it seems to me that any implications to the contrary are risky for the java giant. As increasing numbers of socially aware consumers vote with their wallets these days, and Starbucks continues to court them, the coffee company has an ongoing challenge to live up to its branding. Over the long term, that commitment to fair practices should serve it well. Given Starbucks' continued growth, however, staying socially responsible probably won't get any easier from here.

Read the complete commentary, Starbucks' Coffee Conundrum by Alyce Lomax at The Montley Fool

Let’s have our name; we’ll determine what is fair

Read the real story behind the Starbucks-Ethiopia joint press statement here


Hot Coffee, Mild Voices
Addis Fortune
February 18, 2007

This week, Addis Abeba hosted the fourth annual African Fine Coffee Conference and Exhibition. The conference attracted exporters, roasters, buyers, and retailers specializing in specialty coffees from all over the world, providing an excellent mix of distinguished international and regional speakers presenting a wide range of topics, as well as providing opportunities for networking, connecting various stakeholders from around the world.

The theme of the conference, appropriately named A Pilgrimage to the Birth Place of Coffee, included an African Coffee Safari to the coffee growing regions of Ethiopia.

It is ironic though that this pilgrimage to the birthplace of coffee came at a time when Ethiopian coffee has taken center stage as a hot issue. The trademark standoff between Ethiopia and Starbucks has recently stirred up a bitter debate among stakeholders, and consequently, the conference atmosphere owed its meaning and shape to the notion of unfair trade practices and existing inequity of global economies.

It is also paradoxical, but symptomatic of the highly imbalanced relations of power and privilege, that the keynote speech at the conference was delivered by none other than Willard (Dub) Hay, senior vice president of Starbucks, who also plays the role of the Chairman of Government Affairs Committee for the National Coffee Association (NCA), a US agency that submitted a letter of protest to the USPTO against Ethiopia's trademark application for its specialty coffees.

That such contradictory events could occur simultaneously is not surprising: moments of transition are often rife with contradictions, and will be the key to beginning the process that will end the vicious cycle of vulnerability.

The evolution of the world coffee market has left millions of people in coffee growing countries in a state of despair, while giant coffee corporations in consuming countries are getting richer by leaps and bounds. The original source of coffee is no exception to this predicament. Ethiopia finds itself at the bottom of the market chain.

International trade policies favor the developed countries - since they are in a position to create, implement and insist on the rules of the game. This very uneven pattern of global economic development keeps us under pressure to accept dictation from creditor nations and financial institutions.

Unfortunately, the convention was a reflection of the continuation of the same trend. The subordination to, and preference of external relations to the detriment of internal development was clear. It did nothing to rebuild our national image, or give us the opportunity to command the terms of our membership in the coffee economy. A convention held in a producing country should have had a keynote speech by an authority representing the producers' end of the market.

We were largely represented by existing aid agencies from the developed world that are operating here in Ethiopia. These aid agencies have every appearance of not having a grasp of the real issues, and are here to maintain the interest of the donor countries they represent. The programs they create, like spending a huge sum of money to train Ethiopians for a coffee barista competition during the conference for example, are purely cosmetic in nature, and do nothing to empower the intended beneficiaries of these programs. The money earmarked for improving coffee production and subsequent access to premium markets, is largely being spent on hiring highly paid implementing agents and consultants from their respective countries.

Instead of changing the plight of millions of individuals in the coffee industry, they are essentially creating jobs for their own citizens in our country, who in most cases are also pursuing their own economic interests.

It is a shame that underdevelopment has been further reinforced by the agents of development. The use of aid dollars for such superficial purposes and projects that do not contribute towards making a dent in solving the real issue not only ignores the reality of the indigenous community's needs, but also emphasizes the notions of cultural superiority.

Ethiopia's recognition of this recurrent theme has prompted it to take action against such victimization. The current conflict between Ethiopia and Starbucks manifests Ethiopia's effort in severing the apron strings of domination by the developed world. Utilizing the same tool of economic development that the well-to-do nations use is one way of breaking out of this cycle.

Intellectual Property (IP), assets such as technological know-how, patents, trademarks, brand names and copyrights, increasingly make up the majority of the profits from international trade. Developed countries protect and strategically exploit their IP assets, and Ethiopia's initiative to trademark three of its coffee names Harrar, Sidamo and Yirgachefe is aimed at raising the incomes of the more than 15 million Ethiopians who are dependent on coffee.

While being applauded by cutting edge roasters and traders that are coming on board, and over 30 countries that have granted Ethiopia the trademarks, this innovative move has met resistance from Starbucks and the US National Coffee Association.

Starbucks' relationship to Ethiopia is reminiscent of colonial powers. It pretends to be the guardian of poor coffee farmers, by telling Ethiopia and concerned citizens around the world that trade marking its coffees will be of no benefit to the farmer, and advising our government to go with a geographical indication (GI) instead.

It points to its CAFÉ practices, hoodwinking the consumer into thinking that it is doing something beneficial for the farmer. It consistently stresses its "help" and contribution towards social developments in Ethiopia, instead of the price it pays for the coffee. By disguising how it makes its profit, and dwelling on what it does with the profits afterwards instead, Starbucks refuses to recognize the extent and value of the labor Ethiopian farmers invest in producing the specialty coffees it sells for much higher value than it paid for it.

Ethiopians who depend on the crop for their living are hot; angry at not being able to demand the price that their coffee is actually worth. Customers who have turned activists from Seattle to New York to Europe are hot; outraged at Starbucks for working through their lobbying group, National Coffee Association (NCA), to block Ethiopia's efforts to secure trademarks for its known coffee brands. And the names Harrar and Sidamo are allowed to be hot; stolen from their rightful owners.

For the cradle of the coffee bean, where poverty prevails despite the country's stupendous resources, this controversy signifies the immense need to discard the status quo, and use it as a springboard toward creating changes that need to be made. We need to review the mistakes that have led us to this point, and work on strategies that recognize the control we have over our own lives.

Our coffees have earned their names and specialty status. Farmers, the custodians of the original coffee trees, have worked for generations to produce its unique taste. They have every right to demand what the coffee is worth. Ethiopia will remain adamant in its efforts to trademark its coffee, as our Prime Minister recently notified Starbuck's CEO during his recent visit here with Guatemalan farmers trying to convince him that their plan has worked for other poor exploited countries.

Existing conditions need a paradigm shift. Let us own our own voices, our coffees, and our names. We will tell the world what our coffees are worth. We will determine what is fair.

Ethiopia-Starbucks joint statement: a strange accord

Starbucks has not changed its position on Ethiopia’s trademark initiative. The company refused to sign the licensing agreement with Ethiopia. The country still wants to secure ownership of the coffee marks. The following joint statement is the outcome of Starbucks’ PR ploy. It is bizarre that the Ethiopian government signs on it.

Coming up: a complete assessment of Starbucks' trip to Addis.
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Ethiopia's Government and Starbucks Joint Statement

ADDIS ABABA and SEATTLE, 18 Feb. 2007, The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and The Starbucks Coffee Company recognize their shared interests and responsibility in the sustainability and growth of the Ethiopian coffee sector. Strong partnerships between the Government, coffee companies, donors and other stakeholders are critical to the growth of the sector.

The Government of Ethiopia and Starbucks have agreed to work together in their shared vision to increase Ethiopian farmer incomes and enhance the sustainable production of fine coffee. Both the Government of Ethiopia and Starbucks recognize that there may be differences in approach to achieving this shared vision. Starbucks respects the right and choice of the Government of Ethiopia to trademark its coffee brands and create a network of licensed distributors. Starbucks will not oppose Ethiopia’s efforts to obtain trademarks for its specialty coffees—Sidamo, Harar/Harrar and Yirgacheffe—and its efforts to create a network of licensed distributors.

Further, Starbucks has agreed to double its purchases from East Africa and will increase its purchases from Ethiopia. Starbucks will also provide technical support and capacity building to Ethiopian farmers through a Farmer Support Center that it will open in East Africa. The Farmer Support Center will be staffed with agronomists who will work with farmers to improve quality, yields and prices received. Starbucks will also expand its micro-credit facilities in East Africa to help farmers invest in their farms.

Both the Government of the Ethiopia and Starbucks will continue to strengthen their partnership and engage in consultations on strategies to improve the lives of Ethiopian coffee farmers and their families.

Contacts:
Christy Salcido
The Starbucks Coffee Company
csalcido@starbucks.com
+1 206 318-7100

Getachew Mengistie
Director General
Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office
gmengistie@yahoo.com
+251 11 553 4969

Rev. Billy: Don’t Give Up; Keep The Pressure On Starbucks!

Reverend Billy, the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, and members of their Congregation continued informing the world that Starbucks is blocking Ethiopia from trademarking its own coffee marks.

The Reverend's powerful campaign forced Starbucks to issue a memo to its staff, headed: "What do I do if Reverend Billy comes into my store?”

Rev. Billy has led two actions so far and both ended with his arrest. His call for the third week of action comes despite the imminent threat of arrest.

Sidamo Prayer Campaign

Week Three: Keep The Pressure On Starbucks

They've got to LET GO SIDAMO! Return with us to Astor Place this Sunday at 4pm and tell Starbucks to recognize Ethiopia's ownership of specialty coffee names like Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe.

We must be resolute, children, that ancient coffee names belong to the region that cultivated them -- not a transnational, corporate bully. Agreements have already been reached in Canada and Europe, recognizing Ethiopia as the rightful trademark owner. Yet, Starbucks, led by billionaire Howard Shultz, blocks progress in the United States. With this petty grab at an ancient legacy Starbucks denies coffee farmers fair compensation for the "oldest, best coffee in the world." We've got to send the money BACK to the coffee farmers, it's time to PUSH BACK against trademark piracy!

The Rev would rather not visit The Tombs for a third week in a row, but asks that you join him and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir for this third Sunday at the Astor Place Cube, as we exorcise Starbucks and tell them to LET GO SIDAMO! AMEN!

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Sun, February 18 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Sidamo Prayers at Astor Place Cube Astor Place Starbucks, New York, NY

Wear Red!

More info:
www.reverendbilly.org

Ethiopians' dispute with Starbucks keeps brewing

Marketplace
American Public Media
Thursday, February 15, 2007 - Updated

LISTEN TO STORY

Starbucks has been accused of blocking Ethiopian farmers' attempts to trademark their coffee beans. A group representing Africa's top coffee growers is now backing the farmers' efforts. Stephen Beard reports.

TEXT OF STORY

KAI RYSSDAL: If you go to the Starbucks website, it tells you coffee as a drink originated in Ethiopia more than a thousand years ago. And right about here is where irony meets the news of the day.

Ethiopia's been trying to trademark some of its beans. Starbucks has been accused of blocking that process. And today, a group of major African coffee-growing countries took sides. From London, Marketplace's Stephen Beard has more.

STEPHEN BEARD: A group representing Africa's top coffee growers today attacked Starbucks. It urged the company to drop its opposition to Ethiopia's campaign to trademark some of its coffees in the United States.

The British charity Oxfam has endorsed that trademark campaign. Oxfams' Chris Jochnick says it will bring vital help to a country where most people live on less than $2 a day.

CHRIS JOCHNICK: What this initiative tries to do is to give those farmers the leverage to control and manage the names of their coffees in order to be able to derive more value from the sale of those coffees.

Starbucks denies that it's tried to block Ethiopia's trademark applications. But the company's Sandra Taylor says Starbucks does not believe that trademarking is the best way for the Ethiopians to improve their standard of living.

SANDRA TAYLOR: Well, we respect the Ethiopian government's right to choose the direction that works for them. For us, we believe that it's most important for farmers to focus on quality. And that's why we have undertaken the kind of programs we've announced for East Africa.

Starbucks is planning a support center to advise coffee farmers on how to improve the quality of their beans. And the company is putting more money into health, education and water projects.

Entirely laudable, says Oxfam. But the group says it would be much better to let the farmers trademark their produce, giving them more control over the price and more earning power.

In London, this is Stephen Beard for Marketplace.

Rosa Whitaker says let's agree to disagree and move on

Starbucks lobbyist Rosa Whitaker appeared on the Ethiopian Television (ETV) today to defend Starbucks’ actions against Ethiopia.

Whitaker, former Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa under both Presidents Clinton and Bush Administrations, said that Ethiopia and Starbucks share the same goal - they both want to increase the farmer's income. “I am confident that the issue is going to be resolved soon," she added.

Interestingly, Whitaker stated that the Trade Mark vs. GI issue is just a distraction that takes the focus away from more important things.

Whitaker said that she supports GI (certification); that she's seen it work- it has a lot of power.

Though unrelated to the trademark dispute between Ethiopia and Starbucks, she did not waste time to assure the interviewer that Starbucks is a good company to work for - a CSR company.

Starbucks hired the Washington based lobbying firm, The Whitaker Group to advance the company’s interests internationally, most particularly in Africa.

More coming soon

Starbucks’ response to public pressure: double quantity, not prices

Starbucks meets African farmers halfway

Marketplace
American Public Media
Thursday, February 15, 2007

LISTEN TO STORY

Under public pressure from social activists, Starbucks has announced that it will double the amount of coffee it purchases from East Africa by 2009 — but it won't necessarily pay more for it.

TEXT OF INTERVIEW

SCOTT JAGOW: Starbucks is reaching out to coffee farmers in Ethiopia. Our correspondent Stephen Beard is working on this story. Stephen, what did Starbucks announce today?

STEPHEN BEARD: Starbucks has unveiled a whole package of measures which they say is going to help East African farmers and, in particular, Ethiopian farmers. First of all they're going to double the amount of coffee they buy from the region. They're going to increase to $35 million the amount of money they're going to spend buying East African coffee over the next two years. In addition, they're going to provide affordable credit, they're setting up a farmers support center and they're going to help humanitarian organizations promoting things like adult literacy in the region.

JAGOW: I'm having a little bit of déjà vu here, Stephen. It seems that we talked about this a couple weeks ago in terms of groups putting pressure on Starbucks to change its policies concerning coffee in East Africa, isn't that right?

BEARD: That's right. Starbucks has come under a lot of pressure. There's been that documentary you remember called Black Gold about the plight of East African coffee producers. There have been street demonstrations outside Starbucks coffee shops here in the U.K. Farmers in Ethiopia say they get only a $1.60 a pound for their coffee. That's roughly 1 percent of the price that coffee shop customers are paying.

JAGOW: But this is mostly about buying more coffee as opposed to the price.

BEARD: That's right. I mean, what Starbucks is saying is we do care about these farmers, that's why we're putting this effort into humanitarian organizations and setting up this farmer support group. We're also trying to help Ethiopian farmers to improve the quality of the beans they grow. That, they say, is the best way for them to get a better price.

JAGOW: OK Stephen, thank you.

BEARD: OK Scott.

JAGOW: That's our correspondent Stephen Beard in London.

RELATED: Steamed over coffee prices
WEBSITE: Watch the Black Gold trailer

Oxfam sees Starbucks position change

By Getachew Dibaba
The Ethiopian Herald

ADDIS ABABA -Oxfam America expressed hope that Starbucks, an international coffee retailer and roaster company, would negotiate a solution with the Ethiopian government on the country’s claim to its coffee trademarks as the company takes part in the 4th East African Fine Coffee Conference and Exhibition opening here today.

In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald earlier this week, Oxfam America Horn of Africa Regional Director Abera Tola and Coffee Programme Manager Seth Petchers said that Starbucks had to use the opportunity to change its position and recognize the interest of Ethiopia and its coffee farmers.

“We hope Starbucks to take the opportunity of being in Addis to sit down with the government and come to an agreement that works for both parties,” Petchers said.

Alain Poncelet, Vice President and Managing Director of Starbucks Coffee Trading Company, is expected to deliver a keynote address at the conference.

It is the second Ethiopian working visit for Starbucks after Oxfam launched a campaign in October urging the company to honour its public commitments to its coffee growers by signing Ethiopia’s licensing agreement to affirm the country’s rights in the trademarks associated with some of its finest coffees.

Starbucks CEO Jim Donald met Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Ethiopia in November, but the company has not yet changed its position regarding the trademark issue.

“This is another opportunity for Starbucks to do the right thing,” Petchers said. “It would be very disappointing if the company goes back home without having some kinds of agreement with Ethiopia.”

Starbucks has the opportunity to show leadership while other coffee companies are cooperating with Ethiopia’s trademark bid, Abera said.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, a leading roaster and distributor of specialty coffees, is one of the companies signed a letter of intent with the Ethiopian government in January this year.

Ethiopian coffee growers selling their produce to Starbucks earned between 75 cents and 1.60 USD a pound on beans that Starbucks sold at up to 26 USD a pound.

Ethiopia wants win-win situation, Abera said. “If they Starbucks recognize the trademark, the Ethiopian government can go into the commitment to keep the quality of Ethiopian coffees.”

Oxfam’s initiative is drawing public reaction around the world as over 90,000 people through Oxfam website have sent fax to Starbucks urging the company to live up to its commitment to coffee farmers and sign the trademark of Ethiopia since the launch of the campaign in 2006.by

Africa growers back Ethiopia in row with Starbucks

By David Mageria
Reuters
Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:56am ET

ADDIS ABABA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Africa's top coffee growers backed Ethiopia on Thursday in its trademark row with Starbucks (SBUX.O: Quote, Profile , Research), saying securing the protection rights for various crops and plants could lift millions from poverty.

Ethiopia and the British charity Oxfam have accused the U.S.-based coffee shop giant of blocking Ethiopia's attempts to trademark its beans, denying farmers there potential income of more than $90 million.

"We are dealing with the issue of improving the lives of millions of people," Sindiso Ngwenya, deputy secretary-general of the 20-member Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, told Reuters at a major coffee meeting in Addis Ababa.

"Make no mistake, (we) support Ethiopia because we are not only dealing with coffee but also with a wide range of products."

The dispute escalated on Thursday when Ethiopia said it could take action against the U.S. firm over purchases of its prized coffee beans.

"Starbucks has to recognise that this is Ethiopian coffee, this is an Ethiopian brand. That is what we demand from Starbucks," Ethiopia's assistant agriculture minister, Ato Yacob Yalla, told reporters.

"If they don't keep that brand then we will take measures."

Starbucks officials have said they are concerned with some specific provisions that Ethiopia was seeking, but that they are willing to discuss the matter.

To appease critics, the company also listed six new incentives to boost east Africa's coffee industry.

It said it would double coffee purchases from the region, support education projects, increase credit to farmers by $1 million on top of $9 million already advanced and expand the range of local products that it imports.

RISING PRICES
Dub Hay, Starbucks' senior vice-president for coffee and global procurement, said the company was engaging the Ethiopian government on the trademark dispute and pledged to continue helping African farmers improve the quality of their produce.

"We have listened very carefully to you and what you need. The first commitment we want to make today is that we will double our purchase from east Africa in the next two years," Hay told a specialty coffee meeting of the Eastern African Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA) in Ethiopia.

"We will continue to celebrate and promote African coffees with the 44 million customers who visit our stores each week."

Although the row has dominated proceedings at the conference in Ethiopia -- which is coffee's birthplace -- delegates are also discussing ways to improve an industry which seems to be recovering after many years of decline due to weak prices.

Despite rising prices, peasant farmers still struggle to survive. A quarter of Ethiopia's nearly 80 million people depend on coffee -- which is also the leading export earner for the Horn of Africa nation, which remains one of the world's poorest.

Experts said expanding the specialty coffee market was likely to change the fortunes of farmers across the continent.

"Specialty coffee can increase the family income of a small farmer," said Glenn Anders, the head of USAID in Ethiopia.

"An increase in income for that family could translate into purchasing school supplies, eating more nutritional food and expanding the family business."

The 4th EAFCA Conference Opened in Addis

A Pilgrimage to the Birth Place of Coffee

The 4th EAFCA conference opened today in the Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa and will continue through February 17, 2007. The conference is being held at the United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa (UNCC-AA) and its theme is appropriately named, “A pilgrimage to the birthplace of coffee!”

The international five-star conference and exhibition has created the best opportunity for networking for the record number of more than 60 international coffee companies gathered in the city.

Dub Hay, Starbucks Senior VP, Coffee & Global Procurement, is the keynote speaker.

Below is the complete list of registered participants.
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Also read the following recent posts:

~ Chin up, Schultz tells workers, don't let critics get you down (Feb 14, 2007)
~ Starbucks says it wants to help Ethiopian farmers (Feb 14, 2007)
~ EIPO calls the first trademark stakeholders meeting “historic” (Feb 14, 2007)
~ Starbucks to buy more East African coffee (Feb 13, 2007)
~ Welcoming Starbucks to the Birthplace of Coffee (Feb 11, 2007)

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4th African Fine Coffee Conference & Exhibition

Registered Participants

Company - Delegate, Country

ACDI/VOCA - Brutawit Dawit Abdi, Ethiopia
ACDI/VOCA - Hine Hasenu,Ethiopia
ACDI/VOCA - Stephen McCarthy, USA
Addis Exporter Ltd - Micheal Mamo, Ethiopia
Addis Exporter Ltd - Telila Mamo, Ethiopia
Adem Bedane - Faud Adem Bedane, Ethiopia
Adem Bedane - Said Adem Bedane, Ethiopia
African Agricultural Capital - Tom Adlam, Uganda
African Horizons - Frederick Kawuma, Uganda
African Wildlife Foundation - Moses Njuguna Kanene, Kenya
African Wildlife Foundation - Robert Mwangi Thuo, Kenya
Africoff Trading Co. Ltd - John Njuguna, Kenya
Agra Informa - Rory Gallivan, United Kingdom
Agribusiness Trade Expansion Activity - Abayneh Alemu Meshesha, Ethiopia
Agribusiness Trade Expansion Activity - Steven Humphreys, Ethiopia
AKSCG/KILICAFE - William Shao, Tanzania
Alanheri (Produkten) B V - Ephraim Zaude, Ethiopia
Alanheri (Produkten) B V - Wim van Kooten, The Netherlands
Al-Ezzi International Industries - Adnan Ghaleb, Yemen
Al-Ezzi International Industries - Huzaifa Ezzi, Yemen
Al-Ezzi International Industries - Shabbir Huzaifa, Yemen
Al-Ezzi International Industries - Shabbir Ezzi, Yemen
Alfoz PLC - Hussein Ali, Ethiopia
Alfoz PLC - W/Mariam Assefa, Ethiopia
al-Kbous Group - Abdulqawi Al-Sufyani, Yemen
al-Kbous Group - Ahmed Hezam, Yemen
al-Kbous Group - Ameen al-Kbous, Yemen
al-Kbous Group - Ibrahim al-Kbous, Yemen
al-Kbous Group - Taif Shaif, Yemen
al-Kbous Group - Wael Hashim, Yemen
Alpha Trading Partners - Tewodros Yilma Mengistu, Ethiopia
Ambassa Enterprises Plc - Assefa Degu, Ethiopia
Ambassa Enterprises Plc - Geoffrey Wetherell, Ethiopia
Aroma Coffee - Gavin Gum, Australia
Arvid Nordquist HAB - Philip Barreca, Sweden
ASK International Trading Plc - Suffian Mahdi, Ethiopia
Avanti Coffees (Pty) Ltd - John Frater, South Africa
AWDA PLC - Alem Tesema, Ethiopia
AWDA PLC - Fantahun Zelleke, Ethiopia
AWDA PLC - Simret Alem, Ethiopia
Aziende Riunite Caffe Spa - Samer Nacaly, Italy
Aziende Riunite Caffe' Spa - Franco Tesoro Tess, Italy
Bach-Kaffee - Fumihiko Nakagawa, Japan
BANCOEX - Alfredo Mendoza, Venezuela
Bashanfer Trading Plc - Masresha Kefale, Ethiopia
BD Imports - Patrick Johnson, USA
BD Imports - Phyllis Johnson, USA
Bean There Coffee Co. - Jonathan Robinson, South Africa
Bean There Coffee Company - Myles Sinclair, South Africa
Bendor Estate - Chris Kirubi, Kenya
Bendor Estate - Waithera M. Kabiru, Kenya
BERNHARD ROTHFOS GMBH - Janecki Jens, Germany
Bloomberg - Abyinur Abate Gurmu, South Africa
BONNON Co. Ltd - Awadalla Ahmed Hassan Agabawi, Saudi Arabia
BONNON Co. Ltd - Manzoor Ahmed Hassan Abdul, Saudi Arabia
Boot Coffee Consulting & Training - Willem Boot, USA
Brazafric Ent Ltd - Hagen Mutambi, Kenya
Brazafric Ent Ltd - Marcas Brandalise, Kenya
C. Dorman LTD - Jeremy Block, Kenya
C. Dorman Ltd. - Bridget Carrigton, Kenya
CAB International - Charles Agwanda, Kenya
CAB International - Deborah Romney, Kenya
CAB International - Dennis Rangi, Kenya
CAB International - George Oduor, Angola
CAB International - Morris Akrir, Kenya
CAB International - Negussie Efa Gurmessa, Ethiopia
CAB International - Noah Phiri, Kenya
CAB International - Roger Day, Kenya
CAB International - Tom Owaga, Kenya
CAB International – Africa - Mekonnen Mitiki Ashebir, Ethiopia
Cabey Plc - Hussien Saeed, Ethiopia
Cabey Plc - Negash Hussen, Ethiopia
CABI, Africa - Noah Phiri, Ethiopia
Café Africa - John Schluter, Switzerland
Cafe de Ryuban - Ryuji Kunii, Japan
Cafe Imports - Jason Long, USA
CAFERWA - Emmanuel Harelimana, Rwanda
CAFERWA - Evelyne Nkulikiyijuru, Rwanda
Caf'rique - Derek Schwartz, South Africa
Caf'rique - Stuart Russell, South Africa
Caturra Coffee - Klaus Becker, South Africa
CCT PLC - Fekade Mamo, Ethiopia
CERES GmbH - Albrecht Benzing, Germany
CERES GmbH - Mekuria Tadesse, Germany
CETCO ltd - Cardoso Charles Seara, Kenya
CETCO Ltd - Charles Simon Seara Cardoso, Kenya
CETCO Ltd - Clinton Hayes, Kenya
CETCO Ltd - Sebastian Greff, Kenya
Chisoba Farms ltd - Charles Siddle, Zambia
Cimbria EA - Jorgen Nielsen, Kenya
Cimbria Heid GmbH - Franz Harold, Austria
Cimbria Heid GmbH - Rudolf Egerer, Austria
Cimbria Heid GmbH - Rudolf Egerer, Austria
Cimbria Heid GmbH - Wieland Bogdan, Austria
Cimbria Heid GmbH - Wieland Bogdan, Austria
Cimbria-Heid-Sets - Tadele Dargie Dalle, Ethiopia
Cimbria-Heid-Sets - Tsehay Feleke Dagafe, Ethiopia
Cimbria-Heid-Sets - Zadigwa Tsehay Feleke, Ethiopia
CIRAD – ICRAF - Fabrice Pinard, Kenya
CMA-CGM, Djibouti - Assefa Mulugeta, Djibouti
CMA-CGM, Djibouti - Hiwot H. Selassie, Djibouti
CMA-CGM, Djibouti - Jean-Louis Gaudaire, Djibouti
CMA-CGM, Djibouti - Sehene Temarou, Djibouti
CNRA - Boubacar Ismael Kebe, Cote d’Ivoire
Coca-Cola Eurasia & Pacific - Jacob R. Robbins, Singapore
Coca-Cola India Inc. - Praveen Kumar Kolimarla, India
Coffee & Cocoa International - David Foxwell, UK
Coffee Association of Malawi - Lawrence R.G Lawrence, Malawi
Coffee Association of Malawi - Vijay Navin Kumar, Malawi
Coffee Auction & Inspection Center - Desse Nure, Ethiopia
Coffee Auction & Inspection Center - Elias Getahun, Ethiopia
Coffee Auction & Inspection Center - Malugeta Tadesse, Ethiopia
Coffee Board of Zambia - Andrew Hamaamba, Zambia
Coffee Board of Zambia - Benny Zimba, Zambia
Coffee Board of Zambia - Namukolo Mukutu, Zambia
Coffee Exporters Ltd - Kavita Vohora, Tanzania
Coffee Link International - Marcus Ruttimann, USA
Coffee Management Services Ltd - Michael Peter Gitau, Kenya
Coffee Plantation Dev't Ent. - Abebe Kassaw, Ethiopia
Coffee Plantation Dev't Ent. - Bekele Tsegaye, Ethiopia
Coffee Plantation Dev't Ent. - Efrem Mersi Hazen, Ethiopia
Coffee Plantation Dev't Ent. - Sobokas Tesfagiorgis, Ethiopia
Coffee Quality Insitute - Ted Lingle, USA
Coffee Quality Institue - Craig Holt, USA
Coffee Quality Institue - Peter Owiti, USA
Coffee Quality Institue - Ric Rhinehart, USA
Coffee Quality Institue - Roukiat Delrue, USA
Coffee Quality Institute - David Roche, USA
Coffee Research Foundation - Chrispine Omondi, Kenya
Coffee Research Foundation - Joseph Kimemia, Kenya
Coffee Research Institute - James A Ogwang, Uganda
Coffee Support Network - Arjen Boekhold, Netherlands
COMESA - Mweusi Karake, Zambia
COMESA - Sindiso Ngwenya, Zambia
Common Fund - Caleb Dengu, The Netherlands
CONILCO - Gerard Nitereka, Burundi
Coop Coffees - Monika Maria Firl, Canada
COOPAC - Emmanuel Nzungize, Rwanda
Corridor Coffee & Spices - Chris Dunston, Madagascar
Counter Culture Coffee - Peter Giuliano, USA
Country Representative - Brutawit Abdi Dawit, Ethiopia
CQI Coffee Corps - Bob Osgood, USA
CQI Coffee Corps - Cristina Garces, USA
CTCS Ltd - Ashley Dougal, UK
CTCS Ltd. - Ashley Dougal, United Kingdom
Cup of Excellence - Susie Spindler, USA
Dan & Accosciates Enterprises Ltd Coffee - Alfred Remigius Kinunda, Tanzania
Dan & Accosciates Enterprises Ltd Coffee - Danistan Einhard Komba, Tanzania
Diamond Coffee Co. Ltd - Paras Shah, Kenya
Diamond Coffee Co. Ltd - Pravinchandra Shah, Kenya
DIC Holding - Dante Vilone, Ethiopia
Dow Jones Newswires - Nicholas Bariyo, Uganda
EAFCA - Daniel Mulu, Ethiopia
EAFCA - Dorcas Mugarura, Uganda
EAFCA - Kenney Kimberley, Uganda
EAFCA - Philip Gitao, Kenya
EAFCA - Waggwa Robert Nsibirwa, Uganda
EAFCA/RATES - Christopher Vonzastrow, Uganda
EAFCA/RATES - Ludovica Bellingeri, Kenya
East Morton Trading Co. LLC - Silas Muriuki Ruteere, Kenya
ECEA - Amare Tesfaye, Ethiopia
ECEA - Getinet Kelkle, Ethiopia
Ecologic Finance - Jose Luis Rojas, USA
Ecologic Finance - Nate Schaffran, USA
Ecom Agro Industry - Simon Centeno, Switzerland
EIAR:Awada-Sidamo - Seyoum Seifu Gebeyehu, Ethiopia
EIAR-HQ - Ahmed Seid, Ethiopia
EIAR-JARC - Kufa Taye, Ethiopia
Eight O'clock/Tata coffee USA - Paul Fisher, USA
EIPO - Ron Layton, Ethiopia
EJAR/JARC - Girma Adugna, Ethiopia
Emergent Global - Melaku Sahlu, USA
Emergent Global - Sahlu Melaku, USA
Equal Exchange - Todd Caspersen, USA
Ethio Agriceft - Yemen-Berhan Yilma, Ethiopia
Ethio Agriceft - Yilma Berhan, Ethiopia
Ethiopia Coffee Exporters Association - Ali Hussein Mohammed, Ethiopia
Ethiopia Coffee Exporters Association - Amare Tesfaye, Ethiopia
Ethiopia Coffee Exporters Association - Amelework Getahun, Ethiopia
Ethiopia Coffee Exporters Association - Dawit Dessie Haile, Ethiopia
Ethiopia Coffee Exporters Association - Mubarick Mahdi, Ethiopia
Ethiopia Coffee Exporters Association - Sisay Asrat, Ethiopia
Ethiopian Airlines - Ato Getachew Tesfa, Ethiopia
Ethiopian Airlines - Mesfin Tadesse, Ethiopia
Ethiopian Intellectual Property Organization - Ronald Layton, Ethiopia
EU Coffee Improvement Program - Surendra Kotecha, Ethiopia
Eugen Atte GmbH - Joachim Taubense, Germany
Eugen Atte GmbH - Micheal Frontzeck, Germany
European Roasterie Inc - Timothy Tulloch, USA
Fairview Estates - James Kibera, Kenya
Finagoro Plantations - Neel Vohora, Tanzania
Finest Coffees of the World - Steven Varnis, USA
Freelance - Jean Nicholas Wintgens, Switzerland
Full City Coffee - Michael V. Phinney, USA
Garden Mocca Plc - Hunna Aynalem, Ethiopia
Gavu Coffee Factory - Eddie Isreal Katerega, Uganda
Ghion Ind & Comp Plc - Ayenew Alebachew, Ethiopia
Good African Coffee - Andrew Magezi Rugasira, Uganda
Gourmet Coffee Roasters - John Lear, South Africa
Green Coffee Agro Industry - Ato Tadele Abrha, Ethiopia
Green Development Foundation - Janneke Monkhorst - Aarts, Netherlands
Green Mountain Coffee - Frederick Maurice Peyser, USA
Green Mountain Coffee - Lindsey Bolger, USA
GTZ /4C - Carsten Schmitz Hoffmann, Germany
H. R. A - Joachim Wernicke, Germany
Hacofco Rep. Office - Melesse Bekele, Ethiopia
Haicof Ltd. - Getachew Haile Michael, Ethiopia
Haicof Ltd. - Hailu Gebre Hiwot, Ethiopia
Hamburg Coffee Company - Bekele Melese, Ethiopia
Hamburg Coffee Company - Bent B. Dietrich, Germany
Hamburg Coffee Company - Wanda Schmidt-Bohlens, Germany
Head Programm Support Section - Hine Hasenu, Ethiopia
Helen Gebrenigus Coffee Exporter - Helen Gebrenigus, Ethiopia
Hencorp - Hernando de la Roche, USA
Horiguchi Coffee - Ryota Ito, Japan
Horiguchi Coffee - Toshihide Horiguchi, Japan
I & M Smith Pty Ltd - Bianca Phillips, South Africa
I & M Smith Pty Ltd - Lionel de Roland-Phillips, South Africa
IAKB Cooperative - Ephrem Ndengabaganizi, Rwanda
Ibero (K) Ltd - Matthias Koehler, Kenya
Illy Cafe SPA - Anna Illy, Italy
Illy Cafe SPA - Ernesto Illy, Italy
Independent Fine Coffees Consultant - Simeon Onchere, Kenya
Inge Karlsson Handels AB - Karlsson Inge, Cote D'Ivoire
Interafrican Coffee Organisation - Josefa Leonel Sacko, Ivory Coast
Interafrican Coffee Organisation - Ronald J. Onzima, Italy
Interkom SPA - Mario Bruscino, UK
International Coffee Organization - Denis Ouhoble Seudieu, Rwanda
ISAR - John Nzungize Rusagara, Ethiopia
ITC / SECO - Edith Bernhard, Ethiopia
Itochu Corp - Tsigie Ketsela, USA
J Ganes Consulting - Judith Ganes Chase, The Netherlands
J. Wolf & Company - Barry Van Hengel, Netherlands
J. Wolf & Company - Van Hengel Barry, Ethiopia
Jimma Agri Research Center - Bayetta Bellachew, Ethiopia
Jimma Agri Research Center - Tadesse Eshetu, Ethiopia
Jimma Agri Research Center - Tesfaye Shimber, Ethiopia
Jimma Agri Research Center - Wondyifraw Tefera, Uganda
Job Coffee - Ayub Kalule, Kenya
Jowam Coffee Traders Ltd - Josphat Mwirigi Mburugu, USA
JSI Limited - Spro Coffee - Alfred Caragay, USA
Juice n Java - Dimitrios Jimmy Garoufalias, USA
Juice n Java - Suzanne Garoufalias, Ethiopia
Kafa Forest Coffee Farms Co-op Union - Hanna Teklu, Ethiopia
Kafa Forest Coffee Farms Co-op Union - Rebka Teklu, Germany
Kaffee-Import-Comp. - Frank Vey, Germany
Kaffee-Import-Comp. - Jens Uwe Walter, Tanzania
Kagera Co-operative Union - 1990 Limited (KCU) - Burchard Gosbert, Tanzania
Kagera Co-operative Union - 1990 Limited (KCU) - Sebastian Buberwa, Rwanda
Karengera CWS - Paul Nsengumuremyi,
KCU LTD - Gosbert Rutunda, Tanzania
KDCU Ltd - Benezeth Alola Malele, Tanzania
KDCU Ltd - Heneriko Novatus Tiigelerwa, Tanzania
KDCU Ltd - Prosper Kashangaki Murungi, Tanzania
Keremara Ltd, Jungle Estate - Felicia Kilele, Kenya
Keremara Ltd, Jungle Estate - Robin Muriuki Ndegwa, Kenya
KILI CAFÉ - Adolph Kumburu, Tanzania
Kirimara Farm - Ian Mimano, Kenya
Kirimara Farm - Rose Mimano, Kenya
KNCU (1984) Ltd - Joseph Njau, Tanzania
KNCU (1984) Ltd - Raymond Kimaro, Tanzania
KNCU (1984) Ltd - Tobia Masaki, Tanzania
Kopakama Cooperative - Mathias Abimana, Rwanda
KORD - Henning Clausen, Germany
KPCU Ltd - Peter Kimani, Kenya
KPCU Ltd - Salesio Mbogo, Kenya
Legesse Sherefa Pvt Co. Ltd - Ahmed Legesse, Ethiopia
Liborius Gehrken (A) Ltd - Micheal Gehrken, Tanzania
Liborius Gehrken (A) Ltd - Tina Gehrken, Tanzania
Light Years IP - Pauline Tiffen, USA
Louis Dreyfus Commodities Suisse SA - Felix Von Pezold, Switzerland
Louis Dreyfus Commodities Suisse SA - Paul Akroyd, Switzerland
Louis Dreyfus Commodities Suisse SA - Workshet Biniam Bekele, Switzerland
Lunyangwa - Chimmings Chanika, Malawi
Lunyangwa - Stephen Nyirenda, Malawi
Makandi Tea & Estates Ltd - Laurence R G Lawrence, Malawi
MBOZI Coffee Curing - Jones Saronga, Tanzania
Mc Kinnon India - Perumalsamy Rajarajan, India
Mc Kinnon India - William Alexander Cameron, India
Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives - Richard Monze Chizyuka, Zambia
Moledina Commodities, Inc - Mohamed Moledina, USA
Moledina Commodities, Inc - Shabnum Moledina, USA
MOPLACO Plc - Georgalis Yanni, Ethiopia
MOPLACO Plc - Koichi Saito, Ethiopia
MOPLACO Plc - Sandra Claire Bussel, Ethiopia
MOPLACO Plc - Stella Bromhead, Ethiopia
MOPLACO Plc - Yanni Georgalis, Ethiopia
Moredocof Sole Ent - Misrak Haile Gebre, Ethiopia
MSUMBI Estate Ltd - Leah Pantaleo Assenga, Tanzania
Msumbi Estate Ltd - Ulf Kusserow, Tanzania
MTL Main Trader Limited - Luigi Gianinazzi, Uganda
MTL Main Traders Ltd - Adam Melaku Kalkidan, Uganda
MTL Main Traders Ltd - Mailena Gianinazzi, Uganda
Mullege PLC - Mustefa Awol, Ethiopia
Mullege PLC - Samira Mustefa, Ethiopia
Mullege PLC - Yilma Gebrekidan, Ethiopia
Muluneh Kaka Coffee Enterprise - Muluneh Kaka, Ethiopia
Munali Coffee - Teija Lublinkhof, Zambia
Musasa - Minani Anastase, Rwanda
Nairobi Java House - Bernard Muchiri Iria, Kenya
Nairobi Java House - John Njuguna, Kenya
NARO - Coffee Research Institute - Pauline Aluka, Uganda
Neumann Kaffe Gruppe - Ina C. Wengryzk, Kenya
Neumann Kaffe Gruppe - Juan Pablo Garcia Camacho, Germany
Neumann Kaffe Gruppe - Tsion Taye, Kenya
Ngila Estate Ltd - Vera Stucker, Tanzania
Ngila Estate Ltd - Yakobo Hape, Tanzania
Noble - Alejandra Holway Behrends, USA
Noble - David Behrends, USA
Novethic - Bohe Gaelle, France
Novethic - Nathaniel Doboin, France
NPO Mekong Club - Miho Sentoku, Japan
Nzanzu National du café - Saiba Tony Nzanzu, DRC
OAMCAF - Philippe Moudie, France
OCFCU - Meskela Tadesse, Ethiopia
OCIBU (Coffee Board of Burundi) - Evariste Ngayempore, Burundi
OCIBU (Coffee Board of Burundi) - Ezechiel Nibigira, Burundi
OCIBU (Coffee Board of Burundi) - Onesime Ntimpirangeza, Burundi
OCIBU (Coffee Board of Burundi) - Pascal Nzisabira, Burundi
OCIR Café - Alfred Mutebwa, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Anastase Minani, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Emerthe Tumuhayimpundu, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Ephrem Niyonsaba, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Hamissi I Ngendahimana, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Joy Tushabe, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Kamere Pierre Munyura, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Pierre Claver Gahakwa, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Pontien Munyankera, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Theobald Bavugamenshi, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Vincent Ngarambe, Rwanda
OCIR Café - Zacharie Maninarora, Rwanda
Origin Coffee Roasting - David Gary Donde, South Africa
Origins/Hines Coffee - John Sanders, Canada
Orimi Trade - Dimitry Samoylov, Russia
Orimi Trade - Sergey Glazyrin, Russia
Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union - Ato Tadesse Meskela, Ethiopia
Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union - Dessalegn Jena, Ethiopia
Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union - Tilahun Mekonen, Ethiopia
Oxfam America - Abera Tola, Ethiopia
Oxfam America - Doe-e Berhanu, Ethiopia
Oxfam America - Seth Petchers, USA
P. O. Box 25518 - Abraham Teressa, Ethiopia
Peace Coffee - Derek DeLaPaz, USA
Peets Coffee & Tea - Shirin Moayyad, USA
Penagos Hnos & Cia Ltd - Penagos Cousuegra Alfonso Jose, Colombia
Penagos Hnos & Cia Ltd/Msumbi Estate Ltd - Juma Iddi Njiku, Colombia
Penagos Hnos & Co Ltda - Alfonso Jose Penagos, Colombia
Pinhalense - Joao Brando, Brazil
PINHALENSE - Joao Moraes, Brazil
Port of Djibouti - Abdourahman Elmi Ismael, Djibouti
Port of Djibouti - Aboubaker Omar Hadi, Djibouti
Portland Roasting - Mark Stell, USA
Portland Roasting - Michelle Hartstrom, USA
Portland Roasting - Paul Gilles, USA
PROBAT-WERKE - Cheikh Sarr, Germany
PROBAT-WERKE - Stephen Lange, Germany
Probex Plc - Bedemariam Mekonnen, Ethiopia
Probex Plc - Jose Reubens Tartaglia Barin, Ethiopia
PTA Bank - Brian Makundi, Kenya
RABOBANK - Stephane Delodder, Netherlands
Radio Isanganiro - Arcade Hayyarimana, Burundi
Rainforest Alliance - Thomas Divney, Costa Rica
Rayan Investments PLC - Tadessa Melaku, Ethiopia
RECA Ltd - Francis Gaitho, Kenya
REUTERS - David Mageria, Kenya
REUTERS - Irene Wairimu Mugambi, Kenya
REUTERS - James Robert Angus, UAE
REUTERS - Mary Luiza Kariuki, Kenya
Revedore Hospitality Pvt. Ltd - Neetu Ojha, India
Rift Valley (Zimbabwe) - Nicholas Shaxson, Zimbabwe
Rift Valley Coffee Research Co. - Carole Hemmings, Zambia
Rift Valley Holdings - Amanda Von Pezold, Zimbabwe
Rift Valley Holdings - Franza Kottulinsky, Zimbabwe
Rift Valley Holdings - Heinrich Von Pezold, Zimbabwe
RTFP - Simon Hess, South Africa
Rwanda Mild Coffee - Charles Angebault, Rwanda
Rwanda Mild Coffee - Sleiman Maalouf, Rwanda
S.Sara Coffee Export - Abebe Selassie, Ethiopia
S.Sara Coffee Export - Setd Damtew, Ethiopia
Sacramento Bee Thomas Knudson, USA
SAFMARINE - Adelin Verbeyst, South Africa
SAFMARINE - Philip Marsham, South Africa
Safmarine Ltd - John Lim Kim Seng, South Africa
Safmarine Ltd - Koenrad Verbeke, South Africa
Safmarine Ltd - Stephane Gay, South Africa
Safmarine Ltd - Victor Shieh, South Africa
Sangana Commodities (K) Ltd - TM Mathia Muigai, Kenya
Sanmak Industria De Maquinas Sia - Jose Rubens Tartaglia Barin, Brazil
Saza Coffee - Maki Suzuki, Japan
Saza Coffee - Taro Suzuki, Japan
Schluter S. A - Elliot Bentzen, Switzerland
Schluter SA - Maxime Christen, Switzerland
Schluter SA - Philip Schluter, Switzerland
SDV Transami Kenya Ltd - Negesti Abraham, Kenya
Semachew Demissie Inv. Plc - Daniel Ayalew, Ethiopia
Seven Lakes - Ahmed Mohamed Salih, Rwanda
Seven Oaks Trading - Carol Lane, South Africa
Shared Interest - Rachel Ngondo, Ethiopia
Sidama Coffee Farmers Coop Union - Ashenafi Argaw, Ethiopia
Sidama Coffee Farmers Coop Union - Tsefaye Tefera, Ethiopia
Sidama Coffee Farmers Coop Union - Tsegaye Anebo, Ethiopia
Small Holder Coffee Farmers Trust - Bernard Kaunda, Malawi
SNRA/IACO - N’Goran Koffi, Cote d’Ivore
SOCADEC SA - Johannes De Heer, Switzerland
SOCFINAF Co. Ltd - Etienne Delbar, Kenya
SOCFINAF Co. Ltd - Justin Philip Valentine, Kenya
SOCFINAF Co. Ltd - Steven Chege, Kenya
Sodeco - Bernard Selemani, Burundi
Sogestal – Kayanza - Anselme Nyarushatsi, Burundi
Sogestal – Kayanza - Augustin Sindayigaya, Burundi
Sogestal Kirundo-Mutinga - Francois Nkurunziza, Burundi
Sogestal Mumirwa - Laurent Nkurikiye, Burundi
Sondhi Trading Ltd - Jay C Sondhi, Kenya
Sortex Ltd - Solomon Belachew Goji, UK
Speciality Coffee Ass of Hong Kong & PR China - Chi Tak Yuen, China
Spectrum Imdustries - Jeevan Saldanha, India
Spectrum Industries - Nelofer D'Souza, India
Starbucks - Anne Saunders, USA
Starbucks - Christy Salcido, USA
Starbucks - Dub Hay, USA
Starbucks Coffee Company - Alain Poncelet, Switzerland
Starbucks Coffee Company - Ken Franson, USA
Starbucks Workers Union - Peter van Schaick, USA
Starbucks Workers Union - Sarah Bender, USA
Stockholm Chamber of Commerce - Karin Askelof, Sweden
Stockholm Chamber of Commerce - Karin Ekberg, Sweden
Sustainable Harvest - Elizabeth Evans, USA
Sustainable Harvest - Gilbert Gatali, USA
Syngenta E.A Ltd - Nicholas Makosi Mutisya, Kenya
Syngenta E.A.Ltd - Awelachew Bihon, Kenya
Syngenta East Africa Ltd - Alem Girma HaileMariam, Kenya
Syngenta East Africa Ltd - Bihon Awelechew, Kenya
Syngenta East Africa Ltd - Rikiti Seifu, Kenya
TaCRI - Aligaesha Aminiel, Tanzania
TaCRI - Aminiel Aligaesha, Tanzania
TaCRI - James Teri, Tanzania
TaCRI - Linus Masumbuko, Tanzania
TaCRI - Nyabisi Maliyatabu Ng’homa, Tanzania
TaCRI - Sheila Mdemu, Tanzania
Taguchi Coffee Co. - Koichi Yamada, Japan
Tanganda Tea Company - Michael Henry Anthony Browne, Zimbabwe
Tanganyika Instant Coffee Co - Marietha Masawda, Tanzania
Tanganyika Instant Coffee Co. - Masawda Marietha, Tanzania
Tanganyika Instant Coffee Co. - Melchior Karega, Tanzania
Tanzania Coffee Board - Desderi Mboya, Tanzania
Tanzania Coffee Board - Elias Temu, Tanzania
Tanzania Coffee Board - Leslie Omari, Tanzania
Taylor Winch - Mathew Mills, Kenya
Taylor Winch (TZ) Ltd - Bill Harris, Tanzania
TechnoServe - Carl Cervone, Kenya
TechnoServe - David Browning, USA
TechnoServe - Paul Stewart, Rwanda
The World Bank - Paul Burnett, South Africa
The World Bank Group - Daniele Giovannucci, USA
Thika Coffee Mills - Mbugua Ngugi, Kenya
Thika Coffee Mills Ltd - Pius Mbugua Ngugi, Kenya
Thika Coffee Mills/Kenya Nut Co Ltd - John Karuru, Kenya
Thousand Hills Coffee Company - Stephen Coffey, USA
Thousand Hills Coffee Company - Stephen Lewis Coffey, USA
TRABOCCA - Simons Menno, The Netherlands
Cooperative TransFair USA - Abahuzamugambi ba kawa Cooperative, USA
TransFair USA - Hillary Miller, USA
TransFair USA - Jennifer Bielman, USA
TransFair USA - Karaba Cooperative, USA
TransFair USA - Nadia Chatelain, USA
Tropical Farm Management - Gunther Herhaus, Kenya
Tropical Farm Management - Wycliffe Murwayi, Kenya
Twin - Richard Hide, United Kingdom
UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. Ltd - Akemi Ueshima, Japan
UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. Ltd - Jose. Y Kawashima, Japan
UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. Ltd - Shunta Baba, Japan
UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. Ltd - Steve Katsuya Yamagata, Japan
UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. Ltd - Tatsushi Ueshima, Japan
UCC Uweshima Coffee - Masahiko Kanazawa, Japan
Uganda Coffee Development Association - James Rogers Kizito Mayanja, Uganda
UNIKIN - Adrien Kalonji-Mbuyi, DRC
University of Sao Paulo - Luciana Ginezi, Brazil
USAID - John Patrick McMahon, Ethiopia
USAID - Michael Klesh, Ethiopia
USAID Ethiopia - Kimberly Flowers, Ethiopia
USAID RATES - Diana Walls, Kenya
USAID RATES - Stephen Walls, Kenya
USAID RATES - Tom Carr, Kenya
USAID RATES - Vincent Kaabunga, Kenya
USAID/EAST AFRICA - Kenneth Kambona, Kenya
USAID/EAST AFRICA - Stephanie Wilcock, Kenya
USAID/Rwanda - Tim Muzira, Rwanda
USAID/SPREAD - Jean Claude Kayisinga, Rwanda
USAID-APEP - Nathan Uringi, Uganda
UTZ Kapeh - Kamau Kuria, Kenya
UTZ Kapeh - Niels van Heeren, Netherlands
UTZ Kapeh - Sanja Kim Groeneweg, Netherlands
Volcafe - David Barry, Uganda
Volcafe - Miranda Bowser, Uganda
Volcafe East Africa - Naomi Njeri Nderi, Uganda
Volcafe East Africa - Nicodemus Sangolo Nabakwe, Uganda
Volcafe Ethiopia - Argaw Kebede, Ethiopia
Volcafe Limited - Masamichi Hiroike, Japan
Volcafe Specialty - Timothy Chapdelaine, USA
W. M. Cahn (PTY) Ltd - Sarah Kotzen, South Africa
Waguthu Farmers Ltd - Steve Mwagiru, Kenya
Worbek Indust Trading Plc - Workshet Bekele, Ethiopia
YASP - Muhsin Al-Hubeishi, Yemen
YASP - Wallace Coleman, Yemen
YCFCU Ltd - Birhana Godana, Ethiopia
Yirgacheffe Coffee Co-op Union - Ayidefer Gemechu, Ethiopia
Yirgacheffe Coffee Co-op Union - Birhanu Deyasso, Ethiopia
Yirgacheffe Coffee Co-op Union - Mengistu Elema, Ethiopia
Zambia Coffee Growers Assn. - Joseph Taguma, Zambia
ZCGA - Dan Assa Mukutuma, Zambia
Zebad Gen Export & Import - Emebet Tafesse, Ethiopia
ZEGE Pvt Ltd Co. - Dawit Dessie Haile, Ethiopia
Zimbabwe Coffee Growers Association - Karen Gifford, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Coffee Growers Association - Trevor Gifford, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Coffee Mill Limited - Josephat Rushinga, Zimbabwe
- Ahmed Said, Ethiopia
- Anne Ottaway, Zimbabwe
- Daphine Randriamarotia, Uganda
- Dumisani Kutywayo, Zimbabwe
- Georgina Hakiza, Rwanda
- J Mathende, USA
- Jean Bosco Rukundo, Ethiopia
- Johanna Roman, Rwanda
- Jonas Mugabe
- Michaele Weissman
- Solomon Belachew
- Timothy Schilling