Ethiopian government launched a project to get legal ownership of its fine coffee names—Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, and Harar.
By owning the names, Ethiopia will be able to occupy a stronger negotiating position with foreign buyers, capture a larger share of the market value associated with those names, and protect the reputations of its brand names.
Ethiopia has asked Starbucks to sign an agreement that would acknowledge Ethiopia’s ownership of its coffee names. By agreeing to give Ethiopia rightful ownership, Starbucks could act as an industry leader, setting an example to other companies to stand by the farmers who cultivate their beans, and helping them to get a greater share of their coffee’s value. If Starbucks and other companies signed such agreements, estimates suggest that Ethiopia’s coffee industry, including small farmers, could generate an additional $88 million per year.
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Tell Starbucks to give Ethiopia control over its coffee names. Click here to fax Jim Donald, Starbucks CEO |
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The international society would need to make sure that 88 million makes it back to the industry and people… and not into the pockets of politicians.
other than that, fantastic idea