update April 11: If you're an idiot like me, you can catch it again on the 15th from 5:00 - 6:30 AM (I had problems with my VCR, ahem...)
Attention coffee drinkers!!
A friend on an adoption message board brought this documentary to my attention:
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blackgold/
If you are in the Calgary area, it's playing tomorrow, Wednesday April 11th on KSPS (Channel 14) from 4-5:30am - VIDEOTAPE IT TO WATCH LATER!!
We've all heard the controversy about how companies, such as Starbucks, are preventing the small coffee farmers from making a living. From what I understand, Ethiopia is trying to trademark their coffee beans from the Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe regions (this could be worth billions of dollars to them) - they have been successful in the European Union, Canada, and Japan, but Starbucks is fighting them in the U.S. Starbucks already markets their Ethiopian coffee under those names, at around $26 per pound, where the farmers themselves only make around $1 per pound. Starbucks is suggesting a certification approach, as opposed to trademarking, similiar to Jamaica's model. However, organizations such as Oxfam say that approach would not work for Ethiopia due to the country's size. But it's not just Starbucks keeping the African farmers from receiving a fair price for their coffee.
The aim of this documentary is to open the eyes of the consumers (us!) and show that we have options.
Catch a trailer for the doc at http://www.blackgoldmovie.com/trailer.php
Just buying fair trade coffee is a small thing you can do to make a difference. I know I'm guilty of buying non-fair trade coffee when I've run out - NO MORE. AND fair trade coffee is available in your local grocery store - just read the labels!
BTW, Ten Thousand Villages sells a wide array of wonderful, fair trade wares created by artisans from around the world - it's a great place to do your gift shopping.
