Poor Farmer

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 g...

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 stakeho...