Quote:
Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous
while yr there, pick up a bag of:
Starbucks finally accepted Ethiopia's trademark/licensing/distribution deal and now not only can you get the world's finest bag of fresh coffee from the Ethiopian highlands, but this same cup can help some of the world's poorest coffee farmers come up like e-feezy
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Starbucks Agrees to Honor its Commitments to Ethiopian Coffee Farmers
Starbucks and Ethiopia finalize licensing agreement giving Ethiopians control over their specialty coffee brands.
Thank you video from Ethiopian farmers
Oxfam America President Ray Offenheiser and Ethiopian coffee farmers express their thanks for the more than 96,000 supporters who helped make this licensing agreement happen.
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Background
Oxfam America, along with a broad coalition of student groups, nongovernmental organizations, and Ethiopian community members, wants to applaud Starbucks for agreeing to work with Ethiopian farmers so that they can make more off their most celebrated crop.
Nearly three years ago, Ethiopia’s coffee sector launched a plan to take better advantage of its intellectual property. The country applied for the trademark registrations of its specialty coffee brands in the United States, Canada, and other countries. At the same time, Ethiopia began negotiating with coffee roasters to sign agreements acknowledging Ethiopia’s right to control these brands.
Starbucks is one of the first in the coffee industry committing to sign a licensing agreement with Ethiopia. With these agreements in place, Ethiopians could build the value of their coffees and capture a greater share of the retail price for their farmers.
More than 96,000 people across the globe called on Starbucks to sign such an agreement. Their emails, faxes, phone calls, postcards, and in- store visits helped bring global attention to the issue.
In the meantime, Ethiopia’s trademarking project continues to gain momentum. More than a dozen companies such as Massachusetts-based Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company have also agreed to partner with Ethiopia. We believe it’s just a matter of time before rest of the coffee industry becomes a part of this trend.
What's in a name?
Well, a lot actually. Consider Volvo. Because of years of marketing, advertising and consumer feedback, Volvos aren't seen as just "any old cars." For many, the name "Volvo" connotes "a high level of quality," "a family car," and "a company that does not compromise on safety." According to their website, every Volvo "is the sum total of more than 70 years of focusing on safety. Which means you're not just driving a car. You're driving a promise."
Therefore, the Volvo name—its brand—commands a higher price and the allegiance of consumers. The name on the car tells a story, and that story has significant value.
It's the same for coffee brands like Ethiopia's Sidamo, Harar, and Yirgacheffe. Coffees marketed under these brands promise quality. Roasters can charge consumers more for these coffees because they're considered among the finest in the world.
The problem is that the poor farmers who've grown this gourmet coffee for generations aren't seeing much of the profits. Ethiopian coffee farmers often collect about 10 percent of the profits from these coffees. The rest goes to the coffee industry players that can control the retail price, the international importers, distributors—and roasters like Starbucks.
Ethiopia's trademarking project could bring millions more in annual revenues. In a country where about 15 million people depend on coffee to get by, that amounts to significantly more money for food, health care, and education.
Intellectual property as a way out of poverty
Oxfam encourages the development of innovative market-based strategies to gain more benefits from trade. The Ethiopians’ strategy on coffee is particularly noteworthy because they are seeking to use trademarks—a part of the modern intellectual property system—to benefit poor farmers. In other contexts, intellectual property protections have been criticized as harming poor people in developing countries, particularly in raising the costs of medicines by preventing the use of affordable, generic medicines. To this end, Oxfam will continue to support our coffee partners’ participation and promotion of the trademark initiative. We are also working to prevent intellectual property rules from restricting poor people’s access to life-saving medicines.
