Wake up, smell the injustice
In 2007, Ethiopia challenged the unfairness of the international coffee market by seeking to trademark the names of their high-value speciality coffee beans. Starbucks – the world’s largest coffee shop chain – voiced their opposition.
More than 15 million Ethiopians depend on coffee for their living. Yet, while they grow some of the world’s finest coffee varieties – such as Harar, Yirgachaffe and Sidamo – they don’t receive the premium prices associated with these names.
That’s why the Ethiopian government wanted recognition that they own these premium coffee names.
Our campaigners go into action
After discussions with the company, Oxfam asked its supporters to send a message urging Starbucks to recognise Ethiopia’s ownership of its speciality coffee names.
The response was massive. Nearly 100,000 people from around the world voiced their support for the farmers by contacting Starbucks.
With Oxfam’s encouragement, the national and international media ran the story too, building pressure on the company to act.
Campaigning works
Our collective efforts raised the profile of this important issue, contributing to securing a landmark deal between Starbucks and the Ethiopian government. This will enable farmers to get a fairer price for their coffee beans and give them more to spend on food, health care and education.
This success paves the way for Ethiopian coffee farmers to work with other coffee companies, who will now be under pressure to follow Starbucks’ lead.
Oxfam would like to warmly thank everyone who supported the Ethiopian farmers.
