Poor Farmer

Results from Rainforest Alliance Cupping for Quality Events Announced at SCAA Conference Rainforest Alliance May 7, 2007 The Rainforest Alliance has announced the results of two recent Cupping for Quality events, where a panel of independent coffee experts evaluated coffee from nearly 100 Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in 11 countries at the headquarters of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) in Long Beach, California. Top scorers from the cupping events, which took place last month and last December, included farms from Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Nicaragua and Mexico. With all countries represented receiving an average score of more than 80, which is the threshold to receive specialty status, the results of the cupping events show that sustainable farming practices produce high-quality coffee. “When farmers are meeting a set of holistic standards covering soil and water conservation and good worker treatment, those responsible prac...

By Catherine Riungu Special Correspondent Nation Media , The East African May 7, 2007 Burundi’s coffee sector is expected to gain from an expanded export market and international exposure following the entry of giant US coffee buyer, Starbucks, into thet market. Starbucks recently said it will work with Burundi coffee farmers to develop and expand the sector. Said to be the world’s largest coffee retailer, the company is already partnering with coffee farmers in the region in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya. Economists believe coffee, Burundi’s largest export revenue earner, has the potential to spur the country’s economic growth. The Burundi government is currently facing the difficult task of reviving a shattered economy and building a sense of national unity after a bloody 12-year civil war. The country’s coffee market is currently regulated by the Coffee Board of Burundi (OCIBU). The board strives to co-ordinate the coffee sector, as well as to define and promote the commodit...

Domestic Factors, Constraints, and Unique Opportunities A series that assesses Ethiopia’s coffee sector to understand the root causes of its problems and to point out remedial solutions. This series discusses the scholarly paper, “Ethiopia’s Coffee Sector: A Bitter or Better Future ?” by Nicolas Petit . In Part III , we’ve discussed the characteristic features of the coffee sector and the significance of coffee to the national economy. The current part discusses the domestic coffee market reforms Ethiopia has undergone at the backdrop of the coffee crisis and their impacts. Also, constraints and prospects will be discussed in detail. ----------------------- Ethiopia is one of the countries adversely affected by the coffee crisis. In fact, Petit notes, “Exports earnings have fallen dramatically and the price shocks absorbed by coffee producers in Ethiopia have been enormous.” According to a UNDP estimate referenced in the study, the loss of income in 2003 amounted to about US$200 per h...