Poor Farmer

"We are here to turn the page of the misunderstandings, for a new beginning," said Howard Shultz, chairman of the US coffee shop chain after having signed a coffee distribution and marketing deal with the Ethiopian government. - AFP Photo: Courtesy of AFP Starbucks to Build Ethiopian Farmers' Centre AFP November 28, 2007 US coffee giant Starbucks on Wednesday announced plans to build a support centre for Ethiopian coffee farmers, claiming an end to a long-running dispute with the East African country. "We are here to turn the page of the misunderstandings, for a new beginning," said Howard Shultz, chairman of the US coffee shop chain. He was speaking after having signed a coffee distribution and marketing deal with the Ethiopian government. "This is a real commitment to work side by side with the coffee farmers of Ethiopia," he added. Starbucks plans to build next year a center in Addis Ababa aimed to help farmers to raise the quality and production of...

By Tsegaye Tadesse Reuters November 28, 2007 ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Starbucks said on Wednesday it would open a support centre for coffee farmers in Ethiopia, which earlier this year clashed with the company over a bid to trademark its coffee beans. The world's largest coffee shop chain said it would open the centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, in 2008. The announcement was made in conjunction with a trip to Ethiopia by Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz. "The facility, the first in Africa, will enable Starbucks to work collaboratively with Ethiopian farmers to raise both the quality and production of the country's high-quality specialty coffees," Schultz said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The centre "will provide resources and ongoing support to coffee communities with the goal of improving coffee quality and growing practices," Schultz added. Starbucks said it is also in talks with an Ethiopian apparel factory to ...