Poor Farmer

For status of the Starbucks-Ethiopia deal, click here CSRwire May 14, 2007 WASHINGTON DC - The Ethiopian fine coffee sector this week welcomes 2007 EcoQ Peaberry Award Recipient Sweetwater Organic Coffee Company , Florida's vanguard Organic and Fair Trade Coffee Roaster, as the newest licensee to join the recently formed Ethiopian network of licensed distributors. "Sweetwater Organic is a company whose practices embody the sprit of collaboration and sustainable coffee development that Ethiopia's Trademarking and Licensing Initiative is really about. We are very happy to have them join in our network and contribute at this important and historic time. It is important to have roasters on board that pay attention and appreciate the flavor and quality of the fine coffees that Ethiopia produces," commented Getachew Mengistie, Director General of the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office. The network of licensed distributors is a pioneering group of coffee companies who ...

It’s been 12 days since Starbucks and Ethiopia issued a joint statement saying that they have agreed in principle to sign a licensing, distribution and marketing agreement that recognizes the importance and integrity of Ethiopia’s specialty coffee names. After several months of uphill battle by development agencies, activists and supporters of Ethiopia's plan to trademark its marks, Starbucks has acknowledged a week ago Ethiopia’s ownership of its own coffee marks. “Ethiopia is recognized as the historic birthplace of coffee and the source of some of the finest coffee in the world,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, on the press release. Negotiations have continued through last week between representatives of Ethiopia, currently in Washington D.C., and Starbucks officials. Details of the negotiations are not made public to date. The parties are expected to meet here in Seattle this week, reportedly as early as Wednesday, May 16th, for a signing ceremony. Starbucks has reaso...

This is the 5th and final part of the series that has been running for over four weeks. The series assesses Ethiopia’s coffee sector to understand the root causes of its problems and to point out remedial solutions based on the scholarly paper, “ Ethiopia’s Coffee Sector: A Bitter or Better Future?” by Nicolas Petit . In Part IV , we’ve discussed domestic coffee market reforms, constraints, and their impacts on the coffee sector. We’ve also discussed prospects for Ethiopia’s coffee. This current part points out what is being done and what can – and should – be done in order to revitalize the coffee sector in Ethiopia. My heartfelt thanks goes to my dearest friend who brought the paper to my attention. I am equally grateful of the generosity of Nicolas Petit and Blackwell Publishing Ltd for granting me access and permission to use the paper according to their terms of use. ----------------------- So, What Can Be Done? In Ethiopia, coffee is more important to the farmers than it is for...

Some customers find contemplative quotes provocative, anti-Christian Vito Pilieci The Ottawa Citizen May 12, 2007 Starbucks says it won't change an advertising campaign that some believe is anti-Christian, despite boycotts across the United States. The Seattle-based coffee chain has drawn protests because of its "The Way I See It" campaign, which prints comments submitted by customers on its paper cups. One such thought -- written by London, Ont., native Bill Schell -- calls into question the existence of God. "Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help?" reads Mr. Schell's "The Way I See It" comment. "As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure." The company numbers each of its comments -- Mr. Schell's is No. 24...

Coffee is produced by a number of different global industries in almost every country in the world, making it one of the best products for tracking globalisation. BBC World Service's The Cost Of... programme tracked a kilo of coffee from its origins in Ethiopia to the fashionable coffee shops of Europe and the US. BBC World Service May 10, 2007 In the Ethiopian village of Yirgacheffe, farmers take sacks of raw coffee cherries to a market set up by a local farming co-operative. Scales weigh the coffee and money is paid to each farmer. At this primary stage, a kilo of coffee cherries costs $2.25 (£1.12). For some, however, the price they receive is far less, because where co-operatives are not an available option, farmers are offered below market rate by middlemen with the promise of ready cash. Robbie Shalo, one of the coffee harvesters who works during harvesting, sells at three birr per kilo - or 33 cents. "This is not enough to live by, even though I work here," he expl...

Starbucks Declined saying, "the licensing agreement has not yet been finalized" Democracy Now! the TV/Radio/Internet media outlet with a growing popularity in the US and many other countries, had a live broadcast yesterday regarding the status of the coffee trademark dispute between Ethiopia and Starbucks. I had the privilege of being one of the guests. Following is the transcript courtesy of Democracy Now! --------------- Following Public Campaign For Trademark Efforts, Coffee Giant Starbucks Signs Licensing Deal that Could Bring Millions to Ethiopian Farmers Many say the public pressure on Starbucks helped force them into the licensing agreement. Activists from the Ethiopian community, regional Fair Trade coalitions, University students, and consumer groups all got involved. But perhaps the most vocal of public campaigns was the one started by Reverend Billy, the founder of the Church of Stop Shopping. He took his campaign to the doorsteps of Starbucks coffee houses. With ...

The deal is yet to be unveiled. Douglas Holt , L'Oréal Professor of Marketing at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, is cautiously optimistic: "We would want to wait until we see the final agreement later this month to make a right judgment. It sounds good. They had been under pressure and promising better behavior and that just might have happened. They had messed up several times and I think I'll take them seriously this time. " - CorpWatch ------------ Trademarking Coffee: Starbucks Cuts Ethiopia Deal by Anton Foek, CorpWatch May 8, 2007 Starbucks, the world's largest coffee shop chain, and the Ethiopian government are on the verge of unveiling a deal that the company hopes will end attacks on the company's carefully constructed ethical image. Starbucks spokesperson Bridget Baker told CorpWatch that "a licensing, distribution and marketing" agreement for three of Ethiopia's specialty coffees would be announced later this month. If ...