Poor Farmer

Source:  FDA November 15, 2012 - Berres Brothers, Inc. of Watertown, Wisconsin is recalling: Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters, Chocolate & Peanut Butter and Berres Brother Coffee Roasters, Monkey Mocha and Berres Brothers Lunch with Elvis regular and decaffeinated whole bean and ground coffees. The reason for this recall/alert is because these products may contain an undeclared nut allergen. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to walnuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. Berres Brothers Coffee Roaster's, Monkey Mocha, Brothers Coffee Roasters, Chocolate & Peanut Butter and Berres Brothers Lunch with Elvis coffees were distributed throughout the United States and Guam, through grocery stores and mail order. The following flavors, sizes and Julian date codes are being recalled. Julian date code is either stamped after UPC Code or on front of package. 1.      Berr...

Note from Wondwossen: This report appears to initially imply that the departure of the coffee auction center's (ECX) former CEO has something got to do with one of the major problems that the coffee chain is facing, namely inadequate coffee inspection logistics, but failed to explain the connection. In fact, the problem is a systemic issue that has been affecting the sector and cost business operators dearly from day one. Ironically, the problem could easily be minimized by distributing portable laboratory equipment to - and educating - transporters and suppliers of the impacts of higher moisture levels in green coffee bags, and by devising a process that will prevent the corrupt process at ECX centers where some suppliers apparently manage to sneak in stocks of coffees with a higher than acceptable moisture level. The average cost of an SCAA approved capacitance metering is $300, which is affordable by ECX and worth the investment considering the inconvenience and cost inc...

By Debbie Cai The Wall Street Journal November 12, 2012 Peet's Coffee & Tea Inc. named   Weight Watchers International   Inc.   executive David Burwick as its new chief executive and president, just weeks after the struggling coffee seller was taken private. Mr. Burwick will succeed Patrick O'Dea, who is stepping down after more than a decade as Peet's president and CEO. Mr. O'Dea will continue as a member of the board. Mr. Burwick, who most recently served as president of North America for Weight Watchers, has more and two decades of experience in beverage and retail operations. Before Weight Watchers, he served in senior roles at   PepsiCo   Inc. Mr. Burwick's appointment is effective Dec. 31. Peet's was taken private two weeks ago by German investment group Joh. A. Benckiser for about $1 billion. The company, which is focused on the bagged-coffee segment, has struggled with higher coffee-bean costs in recent months. Peet's has a...

Note from Wondwossen : an depth analysis on the state of Ethiopia's coffee sector, including this USAID-sponsored event is forthcoming on this blog. --- Waltainfo (the ruling party's primary news outlet) November 9, 2012 Addis Ababa, November 9, 2012 (WIC)   - The first International Conference on Ethiopian Coffee aimed at enhancing the position of Ethiopian coffee in the international market through exchange of information and sharing of best practices opened on Thursday in Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian Coffee Exporters Association (ECEA) in collaboration with Ministry of Trade, USAID and Commercial Bank of Ethiopia organized the two-day conference under the theme: Strengthening the Legacy of Our Coffee. The conference is expected to address key opportunities and challenges facing the coffee sector and promote the uniqueness of Ethiopian coffee. Addressing the conference, Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn said coffee is livelihood for more than 15 m...

By Allison Aubrey NPR November 07, 2012   1:37 PM These four women are at the forefront of change, empowering other  women in the coffee industry (clockwise from top left): Angele Ciza, Fatima Aziz Faraji, Immy Kamarade and Mbula Musau. Photo: Karen Castillo Farfán / NPR If you're a coffee drinker, chances are the cup of java you drank this morning was made from beans that were produced or harvested by women. Women's handprints can be found at every point in coffee production. In fact, on family-owned coffee farms in Africa, about 70 percent of maintenance and harvesting work is done by women, according to an  analysis  by the International Trade Centre, but only rarely do women own the land or have financial control. The  International Women's Coffee Alliance  (IWCA) is trying to change that by giving them access to training and networking, and the opportunity to develop new trade relationships. We sat down recently wi...

By Kate Kelland Reuters November 8, 2012 (Reuters) - Rising temperatures due to climate change could mean wild arabica coffee is extinct in 70 years, posing a risk to the genetic sustainability of one of the world's basic   commodities , scientists said. Although commercial coffee growers would still be able to cultivate crops in plantations designed with the right conditions, experts say the loss of wild arabica, which has greater genetic diversity, would make it harder for plantations to survive long-term and beat threats like pests and disease. A study by researchers at Britain's Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in collaboration with scientists in Ethiopia found that 38 to 99.7 percent of the areas suitable for wild arabica will disappear by 2080 if predictions of rising temperatures pan out. Because coffee is a highly climate-dependent crop, the increase of a few degrees of average temperature in growing regions can put at risk the future of Arabica coff...

The Impact of Climate Change on Indigenous Arabica Coffee ( Coffea arabica ): Predicting Future Trends and Identifying Priorities Excerpts Source: PLOSONE (a peer reviewed open access journal) Published October 7, 2012 Abstract Precise modelling of the influence of climate change on Arabica coffee is limited; there are no data available for indigenous populations of this species. In this study we model the present and future predicted distribution of indigenous Arabica, and identify priorities in order to facilitate appropriate decision making for conservation, monitoring and future research. Using distribution data we perform bioclimatic modelling and examine future distribution with the HadCM3 climate model for three emission scenarios (A1B, A2A, B2A) over three time intervals (2020, 2050, 2080). The models show a profoundly negative influence on indigenous Arabica. ... Based on known occurrences and ecological tolerances of Arabica, bioclimatic unsuitability...