Ethiopia in Trademark First: New Coffee Brand Unveiled to Boost Income of Nation’s Coffee Farmers Press Release Embargoed until 21:00, Sunday 4th May 2008 Via Response Source May 2, 2008 The Ethiopian Government today launches an innovative and radical new brand management programme in order to protect its indigenous coffee varietals, and thus champion its coffee industry. It is the first time that an African nation has undertaken such an innovative approach to protecting its economy, and represents a new era in Africa’s economic development and independence. Ethiopia is the historical home of coffee, and exports more than 177,000 tonnes of coffee a year, representing about 15% of the world's total coffee production. However until now, these indigenous coffees have not been identified and promoted in their own right, which has led to low awareness of the high quality and uniqueness of varietals such as Yirgacheffe, Sidamo and Harar coffees, which deserve recognition as some of the...