Poor Farmer

Coffee is produced by a number of different global industries in almost every country in the world, making it one of the best products for tracking globalisation. BBC World Service's The Cost Of... programme tracked a kilo of coffee from its origins in Ethiopia to the fashionable coffee shops of Europe and the US. BBC World Service May 10, 2007 In the Ethiopian village of Yirgacheffe, farmers take sacks of raw coffee cherries to a market set up by a local farming co-operative. Scales weigh the coffee and money is paid to each farmer. At this primary stage, a kilo of coffee cherries costs $2.25 (£1.12). For some, however, the price they receive is far less, because where co-operatives are not an available option, farmers are offered below market rate by middlemen with the promise of ready cash. Robbie Shalo, one of the coffee harvesters who works during harvesting, sells at three birr per kilo - or 33 cents. "This is not enough to live by, even though I work here," he expl...

Starbucks Declined saying, "the licensing agreement has not yet been finalized" Democracy Now! the TV/Radio/Internet media outlet with a growing popularity in the US and many other countries, had a live broadcast yesterday regarding the status of the coffee trademark dispute between Ethiopia and Starbucks. I had the privilege of being one of the guests. Following is the transcript courtesy of Democracy Now! --------------- Following Public Campaign For Trademark Efforts, Coffee Giant Starbucks Signs Licensing Deal that Could Bring Millions to Ethiopian Farmers Many say the public pressure on Starbucks helped force them into the licensing agreement. Activists from the Ethiopian community, regional Fair Trade coalitions, University students, and consumer groups all got involved. But perhaps the most vocal of public campaigns was the one started by Reverend Billy, the founder of the Church of Stop Shopping. He took his campaign to the doorsteps of Starbucks coffee houses. With ...