Poor Farmer

Virginia De Leon Spokesman Review Staff writer October 24, 2007 It's not certified fair trade, but coffee supplied by a small Liberty Lake company has helped transform the lives of poor farmers in Ethiopia. Since 2002, Dominion Trading has partnered with families and growers in the country's Yirgacheffe region not only to produce premium whole bean Arabica coffee, but to provide health care, education and other humanitarian aid to the people of Ethiopia. "We want to build relationships in order to create solutions and change lives," said Mike Stemm, general manager of Dominion Trading. The business returns 60 percent of its net profits from coffee sales to Ethiopia through profit-sharing with coffee growers and also through the New Covenant Foundation, a nonprofit also established by Stemm. So in addition to paying farmers a higher price for their coffee, Dominion Trading and the New Covenant Foundation have focused on community health care, literacy, finance, church...

By Tesfa-alem Tekle Sudan Tribune October 20, 2007 October 19, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia has collected 412 million US dollars from coffee export over the past Ethiopian year, the ministry of Agriculture and rural development Dessie Nure told walta news service. He said “Ethiopia has exported a total of 176,000 tones of coffee to the united states and other European countries over the past Ethiopian year” Ethiopia’s coffee is one of the best worldwide which accounts over 60% of the total foreign currency of the nation. “The ministry said over 100 coffee exporters and unions were involved in the export". The Ethiopian coffee trade is very important to the culture of Ethiopia. Many Ethiopians and historians believe that the word coffee came from the Ethiopian word "kafa". Coffee in Ethiopia has strong traditions that stem back to the 10th century, when coffee was discovered in Ethiopia. The farming of coffee has strong traditions with Ethiopian families. Generations of ...

By Dominique Patton Business Daily Africa October 15, 2007 Success of coffee houses like Starbucks is fuelling a shift to premium coffee in the US. The addictive ‘coffeehouse experience’ is increasingly persuading Americans to buy brands like Starbucks, Caribou and Peet’s instead of opting for traditional names like Maxwell House. This shift also means that they are prepared to pay more for premium brands, according to a new report from consumer research firm Mintel. Coffeehouse sales increased by 28 per cent in the two years to 2006. “ As a result of coffeehouse expansion and increased use, consumers have been exposed to a variety of coffees — raising the bar on consumer expectations on taste and quality, and creating the desire for taste experiences they wish to emulate at home,” say the authors. Retail brands are seeking a share of the premium trend too. Folgers launched a gourmet selection in eight varieties last year, priced at $6.39 per pound. Fair trade coffee is also seeing str...

US Company to Invest USD 50mln in Coffee Farm, Roasting Facility By Hayal Alemayehu Ethiopian Reporter October 13, 2007 B&D Food Corporation, an American-based company, is set to invest USD 50 million in coffee farm and erection of a roasting facility in Ethiopia under its recently established subsidiary, BDFC Ethiopia Industry PLC. The company has already secured 5,000 hectares of coffee farm in Jimma, Oromia region, on which it will be producing “high quality” Ethiopian coffee, company representative Benjamin Petel told The Reporter in a statement on Sunday. BDFC Ethiopia will also erect a coffee roasting facility around the coffee farm site, which had last week been handed over to it by the Oromia Investment Commission. Presently, the company is finalizing preparation to embark upon the project. “BDFC Ethiopia intends to begin planting in the coming months and, in parallel, is working on building a processing factory on the plantation grounds,” Petel said. “B&D hopes to proc...

Roasted coffee beans are displayed by an employee of a shop which sells the Arabica and Robusta varieties of coffee, in Jakarta on Jan. 17, 2007. Photographer: Ng Swan Ti/Bloomberg News By Danielle Rossingh Bloomberg October 12, 2007 Robusta coffee rose to a 10-year high in London on concern that drought in Brazil and possible floods in Vietnam will curb supplies from the world's biggest growers. Brazil's main coffee-growing regions of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais are unlikely to see much rain in the next seven days, U.S. weather forecaster Meteorlogix LLC said in a report yesterday. Rain in Vietnam's southern coffee belt may mean flooding, the forecaster said. ``The weather in Brazil is dry, dry, dry,'' Jeff Cooper, an analyst at Ambrian Commodities Ltd. in London, said by phone today. The market is ``all weather driven.'' The price of robusta beans, used to make espresso and instant coffee, has gained more than 46 percent in a year, threatening to crimp prof...

By CRAIG HARRIS Seattle PI October 8, 2007 Whether it's a new drink, a music deal or a movie promotion, Starbucks says it constantly strives to "surprise and delight" its customers. But it was investors who got the surprise, and little delight, as the share price dropped 23 percent during a one-year period that ended Sept. 30, the end of the company's fiscal year. During the same time, the S&P 500 Index, of which Starbucks is a member, gained 16.5 percent, including dividends. David Palmer, an analyst with UBS Securities in New York, said Starbucks desperately needs some "brand buzz" to turn things around. "What can help them? Basically, executing," Palmer said. "Is having a breakfast sandwich and the second year of a pumpkin spice latte all I have to look forward to, or can they come up with something more exciting?" While Wall Street has pummeled Starbucks in the past year, the coffee company remains profitable and has launched num...

Rafael de Paiva, right, said that fair trade coffee farming has helped his family "create a decent living." (Lalo de Almeida for The New York Times.) Courtesy of International Herald Tribune. By Andrew Downie International Herald Tribune Monday, October 1, 2007 VARGINHA, Brazil: Rafael de Paiva was skeptical at first. If he wanted a "fair trade" certification for his coffee crop, the Brazilian farmer would have to adhere to a long list of rules on pesticides, farming techniques, recycling and other matters. He even had to enroll his children in school. "I thought, 'This is difficult,' " Paiva recalled. But the 20 percent premium he recently received for his first fair trade harvest made the effort worthwhile, he said, adding that it "helped us create a decent living." More farmers are likely to see similar offers as importers and retailers rush to meet growing demands from consumers and advocates to adhere to stricter environmental and so...