Where is Ethiopia’s Farmer Support Center? Wondwossen Mezlekia June 19, 2012 Farmer Gemede Roba was the icon of Oxfam's campaign during the Starbucks-Ethiopia coffee trademark dispute. He lives in the Borena zone of the Oromia region, one of the many coffee growing zones in Ethiopia. (Photo: Courtesy of Oxfam America) In June 2007, as the coffee trademark dispute between Starbucks and the government of Ethiopia concluded behind closed doors, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz made a public statement promising to open a regional Farmer Support Center in Addis Ababa. Three years later in May 2010, I asked the company if it will fulfill its promises and open the Farmer Support Center in Ethiopia. In an email response Starbucks said: “While we had originally planned for the Ethiopian branch to open soon after [the opening of the Starbucks East Africa Regional Farmer Support Center in Kigali, Rwanda]...