Poor Farmer

Last year, Starbucks announced that they were going to increase the company's coffee purchases from Africa by 400 per cent. This figure has been confusing as the company did not reveal the basis for comparison - the quantity Starbucks currently purchases from Africa. According to the following news report, Starbucks is promising to purchase 20 per cent of its coffee from East Africa - a sub region in the continent. This is quite an increase compared to the previously promised 5 per cent purchase. I think this is good news. At the same time, I feel that a few questions are still open to speculation: What per cent of Starbucks' purchases comes from East Africa now? Is Starbucks really purchasing 10 per cent of its coffee from this sub region only (as stated in the news)? There are over 10 coffee growing countries in East Africa; which countries are going to supply the increased demand? When is this increased purchasing plan going in to effect? How about the price - is Starbucks g...

International pressure on Starbucks is increasing with consumers calling on the company to release Ethiopian farmers' efforts to own their own coffee marks. 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. According to News Blaze , Reverend Billy is arrested, while fighting for the Ethiopian farmers, for the second week in a row, and held in jail. Before the February 11th campaign, Starbucks issued a memo to its staff, headed: "What do I do if Reverend Billy comes into my store?” Ethiopia wants to own the trademarks for its valuable coffees Harar and Sidamo but Starbucks is working through their lobbying group National Coffee Association (NCA) to block the country’s efforts in the US. News Blaze says, “Ownership of these trademarks could help farmers in a bottomed-out coffee market make enough money to feed their families. Right now coff...