Guest guest Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 Starbucks Seeks Rights to Ethiopian Coffee Names Each year, coffee companies make billions of dollars. Starbucks alone earned nearly $6 billion in net revenue during the first three quarters of 2006, and yet for every cup of coffee Starbucks sells, farmers in coffee-growing countries like Ethiopia earn only about three cents. Now, Starbucks has begun to pursue trademark rights for its Ethiopian coffees – Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, and Harrar – despite those names describing geographic regions of Ethiopia that have been producing coffee for hundreds of years. The Ethiopian government has objected to this, asking Starbucks to sign a licensing agreement that will allow Ethiopia to control the names of its coffee. That way, Ethiopia can help determine an export price that makes sure farmers see a larger share of the profits – enabling them to feed their children, send them to school, and get better healthcare. In partnership with Oxfam, Co-op America is calling on Starbucks to sign this agreement with Ethiopia. According to Oxfam, control of the names could increase Ethiopia's coffee exports by more than 25 percent, or $88 million annually, which could help lift millions of Ethiopians out of poverty. Sign on to Oxfam's Starbucks campaign to learn more about Starbucks, and visit its profile at our ResponsibleShopper.org. If George Bush said that the Earth was flat, the headline would read, " Views Differ on Shape of the Earth " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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