Poor Farmer

By Allan Odhiambo Business Daily Africa November 20  2011  A farmer picks her coffee crop. Photo: Courtesy of Business Daily.  Some millers and roasters could be investigated for allegedly engaging in illegal dealings that are fuelling theft of beans in coffee growing areas across the country. The industry regulator, the Coffee Board of Kenya, said last Thursday if found guilty the millers and roasters would be stripped of their licences. “We have received claims of some millers and roasters allegedly engaging in dealings that are causing theft of coffee and we have forwarded the information to the relevant arms of government for action,” the board’s managing director, Loise Njeru, told a media briefing in Nairobi. Cases of theft and illegal dealing in the commodity have been on climb since the 2004/05 crop season, coinciding with a steady increase in prices that has persisted into this year. “Theft of coffee has become very serious especially a...

By Scott Shalaway Pittsburg Post Gazette November 20, 2011 Next time you're grocery shopping, try finding a bag of "environmentally friendly" coffee. But don't be fooled by deceptive packaging. Just because a bag has an image of a bird on it doesn't mean it's "green." Coffee drinking birders and conservationists can make a difference by purchasing coffee that is certified organic and "bird-friendly." Unfortunately these certifications can be confusing. The Smithsonian Institution's Migratory Bird Center's certification process is the gold standard. Begun in 1995 and based on years of scientific research, SMBC developed strict criteria for evaluating shade coffee farms. Independent third-party inspectors evaluate coffee farms. Only those that meet SMBC standards and are certified "organic" by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are eligible for bird friendly certification. Roasters that have earned the Bi...