Poor Farmer

Starbucks has not changed its position on Ethiopia’s trademark initiative. The company refused to sign the licensing agreement with Ethiopia. The country still wants to secure ownership of the coffee marks. The following joint statement is the outcome of Starbucks’ PR ploy. It is bizarre that the Ethiopian government signs on it. Coming up : a complete assessment of Starbucks' trip to Addis. --------- Ethiopia's Government and Starbucks Joint Statement ADDIS ABABA and SEATTLE, 18 Feb. 2007, The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and The Starbucks Coffee Company recognize their shared interests and responsibility in the sustainability and growth of the Ethiopian coffee sector. Strong partnerships between the Government, coffee companies, donors and other stakeholders are critical to the growth of the sector. The Government of Ethiopia and Starbucks have agreed to work together in their shared vision to increase Ethiopian farmer incomes and enhance the ...

Reverend Billy , the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, and members of their Congregation continued informing the world that Starbucks is blocking Ethiopia from trademarking its own coffee marks. The Reverend's powerful campaign forced Starbucks to issue a memo to its staff, headed: "What do I do if Reverend Billy comes into my store?” Rev. Billy has led two actions so far and both ended with his arrest. His call for the third week of action comes despite the imminent threat of arrest. Sidamo Prayer Campaign Week Three: Keep The Pressure On Starbucks They've got to LET GO SIDAMO ! Return with us to Astor Place this Sunday at 4pm and tell Starbucks to recognize Ethiopia's ownership of specialty coffee names like Sidamo , Harar and Yirgacheffe . We must be resolute, children, that ancient coffee names belong to the region that cultivated them -- not a transnational, corporate bully. Agreements have already been reached in Canada and Europe, recognizing Ethiopia as the ...

Marketplace American Public Media Thursday, February 15, 2007 - Updated LISTEN TO STORY Starbucks has been accused of blocking Ethiopian farmers' attempts to trademark their coffee beans. A group representing Africa's top coffee growers is now backing the farmers' efforts. Stephen Beard reports. TEXT OF STORY KAI RYSSDAL: If you go to the Starbucks website, it tells you coffee as a drink originated in Ethiopia more than a thousand years ago. And right about here is where irony meets the news of the day. Ethiopia's been trying to trademark some of its beans. Starbucks has been accused of blocking that process. And today, a group of major African coffee-growing countries took sides. From London, Marketplace's Stephen Beard has more. STEPHEN BEARD: A group representing Africa's top coffee growers today attacked Starbucks. It urged the company to drop its opposition to Ethiopia's campaign to trademark some of its coffees in the United States. The British charit...

Starbucks lobbyist Rosa Whitaker appeared on the Ethiopian Television (ETV) today to defend Starbucks’ actions against Ethiopia. Whitaker, former Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa under both Presidents Clinton and Bush Administrations, said that Ethiopia and Starbucks share the same goal - they both want to increase the farmer's income. “I am confident that the issue is going to be resolved soon," she added. Interestingly, Whitaker stated that the Trade Mark vs. GI issue is just a distraction that takes the focus away from more important things. Whitaker said that she supports GI (certification); that she's seen it work- it has a lot of power. Though unrelated to the trademark dispute between Ethiopia and Starbucks, she did not waste time to assure the interviewer that Starbucks is a good company to work for - a CSR company. Starbucks hired the Washington based lobbying firm, The Whitaker Group to advance the company’s interests internationally, most particul...

Starbucks meets African farmers halfway Marketplace American Public Media Thursday, February 15, 2007 LISTEN TO STORY Under public pressure from social activists, Starbucks has announced that it will double the amount of coffee it purchases from East Africa by 2009 — but it won't necessarily pay more for it. TEXT OF INTERVIEW SCOTT JAGOW: Starbucks is reaching out to coffee farmers in Ethiopia. Our correspondent Stephen Beard is working on this story. Stephen, what did Starbucks announce today? STEPHEN BEARD: Starbucks has unveiled a whole package of measures which they say is going to help East African farmers and, in particular, Ethiopian farmers. First of all they're going to double the amount of coffee they buy from the region. They're going to increase to $35 million the amount of money they're going to spend buying East African coffee over the next two years. In addition, they're going to provide affordable credit, they're setting up a farmers support cent...

By Getachew Dibaba The Ethiopian Herald ADDIS ABABA -Oxfam America expressed hope that Starbucks, an international coffee retailer and roaster company, would negotiate a solution with the Ethiopian government on the country’s claim to its coffee trademarks as the company takes part in the 4th East African Fine Coffee Conference and Exhibition opening here today. In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald earlier this week, Oxfam America Horn of Africa Regional Director Abera Tola and Coffee Programme Manager Seth Petchers said that Starbucks had to use the opportunity to change its position and recognize the interest of Ethiopia and its coffee farmers. “We hope Starbucks to take the opportunity of being in Addis to sit down with the government and come to an agreement that works for both parties,” Petchers said. Alain Poncelet, Vice President and Managing Director of Starbucks Coffee Trading Company, is expected to deliver a keynote address at the conference. It is the second ...

By David Mageria Reuters Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:56am ET ADDIS ABABA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Africa's top coffee growers backed Ethiopia on Thursday in its trademark row with Starbucks (SBUX.O: Quote , Profile , Research ), saying securing the protection rights for various crops and plants could lift millions from poverty. Ethiopia and the British charity Oxfam have accused the U.S.-based coffee shop giant of blocking Ethiopia's attempts to trademark its beans, denying farmers there potential income of more than $90 million. "We are dealing with the issue of improving the lives of millions of people," Sindiso Ngwenya, deputy secretary-general of the 20-member Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, told Reuters at a major coffee meeting in Addis Ababa. "Make no mistake, (we) support Ethiopia because we are not only dealing with coffee but also with a wide range of products." The dispute escalated on Thursday when Ethiopia said it could take action against the...