Poor Farmer

By Amanda Chan The Huffington Post Updated November 1, 2011 (First Posted October 31, 2011) Oh, coffee. The a.m. savior, dispenser of energy and the reason why many of us are able to get through the first parts of our days without looking like zombies. But studies show that we may be benefitting from more than just the energy-boosting caffeine in coffee -- we might also be reaping its cancer-preventing and depression-lowering effects, just to name a couple. Of course, as with all good things, moderation is key -- excessive coffee consumption is associated with cardiovascular problems, including an increased heart rate or blood pressure and irregular heartbeats, Harvard Health Publications reports. And all that caffeine can become addictive. Experts tend to agree that the good largely outweighs the bad for most people, but remember to consume in moderation (and skip calorie-heavy add-ins like sugar and cream). 1.      Coffee (Or At Least,...

By Blair Euteneuer Bloomberg November 01, 2011 Nov. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Coffee futures fell to the lowest price in four weeks on speculation that Europe’s struggle to contain its sovereign-debt crisis may slow the global economy, curbing commodity demand. Greece’s government called a referendum on its latest bailout package, escalating concern that the country may default. European stocks dropped the most in five weeks, and the Standard & Poor’s GSCI Index of 24 raw materials fell as much as 3.1 percent. The dollar gained as much as 2 percent against a basket of major currencies, eroding the investment appeal of commodities. “New worries about global growth, namely Europe, have put an end to rallies we saw in October,” James Cordier, a strategist and the founder of Optionsellers.com in Tampa, Florida, said in a telephone interview. “Greece is voting on something we thought was already done. Anytime the economy appears to be weakening, we assume the consumer will consume lesse...

By Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala Reuters November 1, 2011 DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania's coffee prices rose at last week's auction, with a shortage of high-quality arabica beans in Colombia expected to boost prices in the east African country, the regulator Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) said on Tuesday. Tanzania mainly produces arabica coffee and grows some robusta. Prices of its arabica normally track the New York market while those of robusta take their cue from London. State-run TCB said 16,995 60-kg bags were offered at the sale with 13,995 bags sold. A total of 23,379 of the 60-kg bags were up for sale in the previous auction, with 22,976 bags sold. "Overall average prices at the Moshi exchange were up by $0.58 per 50 kg for mild arabica compared to the last auction ...Average prices were above the terminal market by $34.34 per 50 kg," TCB said in its weekly report. East African coffee is normally packed in 60-kg bags, but the prices are quoted fo...