Oxfam Celebrates Win-win Outcome for Ethiopian Coffee Farmers and Starbucks

Oxfam Ireland Press Release
22 June 2007

Starbucks and Ethiopia sign agreement; Oxfam ends Campaign on Starbucks

Washington, D.C. - Starbucks and Ethiopia signed a distribution, marketing and licensing agreement today that ends their trademark dispute and brings them together in partnership to help Ethiopian coffee farmers. International relief and development agency Oxfam welcomes the agreement that has the potential to give farmers a fairer share of the profits for their world-renowned coffee brands, Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe.

"Congratulations to our Ethiopian coffee farming partners and to Starbucks on an agreement that recognizes Ethiopians' right to control the use of their specialty coffee brands," said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America.

Eight months ago Oxfam began working to raise awareness of Ethiopians' efforts to gain control over their fine coffee brands. Today, Starbucks has honoured its commitments to Ethiopian coffee farmers by becoming one of the first in the industry to join the innovative Ethiopian trademarking initiative.

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 the right of Ethiopians to control these brands.

"With this agreement, Ethiopians can build the value of their coffees and farmers can capture a greater share of the retail price," Offenheiser concluded. "This should help improve the lives of millions of poor farmers, allowing them to send their children to school and access healthcare."

According to a press release issued by Ethiopia and Starbucks yesterday, the agreement allows Starbucks to use and promote these coffee brands in markets both where trademarks exist for the brands as well as where they may not, in accordance with agreed terms and conditions negotiated with Ethiopia. Currently Ethiopia has successfully registered trademarks in Canada, the European Union, the United States and Japan.

In October 2006, Oxfam kicked off an international campaign to encourage Starbucks and other roasters to engage with Ethiopia directly on the trademarking initiative. Since then, more than 96,000 supporters, including many in Ireland have called on Starbucks to sign a licensing agreement. Their emails, faxes, phone calls, postcards, and in-store visits helped bring global attention to the issue.

'We're delighted this agreement has been made, it shows that when people speak up companies like Starbucks will listen.' said Colin Roche, policy and advocacy coordinator of Oxfam Ireland.

Oxfam Ireland is an independent member of Oxfam International- a group of thirteen non-governmental agencies dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world.

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