JPANet Weekly Action - Support Ethiopian Coffee Growers The UCC Justice and Witness Ministries has joined a coalition of organizations led by Oxfam America to support Ethiopia’s negotiations with Starbucks to trademark its most famous coffees. The coalition is urging Starbucks Coffee to sign a licensing agreement developed by the Ethiopian government to allow Ethiopia to control the names of its coffees and set export prices accordingly. By sending this message to Starbucks, consumers can help the Ethiopian government to guarantee its 15 million coffee farmers a fair price. Ethiopia ranks among the poorest countries in the world. More than 75 percent of its population lives on less than $1 per day. About 15 million people in Ethiopia depend on coffee to make a living. If Starbucks and other companies sign licensing agreements, it is estimated that Ethiopia could receive an extra $88 million in income per year. Starbucks coffee sales netted $5.8 billion in revenues during the first three quarters of 2006. Ethiopian coffee farmers earn only five to ten percent of the retail value of the coffees they grow. The trademark agreement proposed by the Ethiopian government would deliver the profits from increased coffee prices to small-scale farmers currently barely able to survive. Starbucks has taken some initial steps to help small farmers in poverty, but a trademark agreement with Ethiopia could have a profound impact on the lives of millions of Ethiopians. To send a message to Starbucks urging them to negotiate a licensing agreement with the Ethiopian government in good faith go to http://act.oxfamamerica.org/campaign/starbucks?source=0611_ac_sbucks_ally Visit your One-Stop UCC Advocacy Center at http://www.ucctakeaction.org
Click here for information about CCDC and United Church of Christ Coffee Project
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