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Tell Starbucks to Honor Their Commitments to Coffee Farmers

Target: Jim Donald, Starbucks CEO
Sponsored by: Oxfam America

Each year, coffee companies make billions of dollars. Starbucks alone earned almost $5.8 billion in net revenues during the first three quarters of 2006.

Yet, for every cup of coffee Starbucks sells, poor farmers in coffee-growing countries like Ethiopia earn only about $.03. Even worse, while Ethiopian farmers grow some of the finest name-brand coffees in the world think Harar, Yirgacheffe, and Sidamo they don't see the premium profits those names command among consumers.

With as many as 15 million Ethiopians dependent on coffee, Ethiopia wants to get its farmers more of what they deserve. The country's government has asked Starbucks to sign a licensing agreement that will allow Ethiopia to control the names of its coffee. That way, Ethiopia can help determine an export price that makes sure farmers see a larger share of the profits enabling them to feed their children, send them to school and get them better healthcare.

Ask Starbucks to sign the agreement giving Ethiopian farmers their fair share of coffee profits.

deadline: 10-25-2007
goal: 10,000

22,098
signatures!

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This petition is now closed. Success! Starbucks and Ethiopia have finalized an agreement that ends their trademark dispute and brings both sides together in partnership to help Ethiopian farmers. This agreement has the potential to give these farmers a fair share of the profits for their world-renowned coffees. Congratulations! Keep up the good work!

Dear Jim Donald:

As a Starbucks customer, I'm concerned about your opposition to Ethiopia's right to own its coffee names. I am asking Starbucks to honor its commitment to farmers by signing an agreement with Ethiopia that recognizes the country's rights to the names of its coffees. If Starbucks and other companies sign such agreements, estimates suggest that Ethiopian's could see up to $88 million of extra income a year.

[Your comment]

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, the majority of them growing their crop on small plots of about two and a half acres.

Meanwhile, coffee lovers pay up to $26 per pound for fine Ethiopian coffees because they're willing to pay for high quality and great taste. Ethiopian farmers, however, often earn just 5-10 percent of the retail value.

With this disparity in mind, the 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. In a country with a per capita income of around $100 per year, that amount of money could have a profound impact on the lives of millions of Ethiopians.

As you know, Ethiopia approached Starbucks more than a year ago asking the company to lead by example and to discuss an agreement that would acknowledge Ethiopia's ownership of these names. So far, Starbucks has refused to sign the agreement, or even talk seriously about it with the Ethiopian government.

I want to see Starbucks do the right thing by the poor farmers who grow its coffee. I urge you to sign the licensing agreement and recognize Ethiopia's rightful ownership of its coffee names.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Address]

We signed the “Tell Starbucks to Honor Their Commitments to Coffee Farmers” petition!

# 50:

4:53 am PDT, Oct 27, Eve Ramsey, Iowa
shame on you starbucks---do the right thing

# 49:

4:36 am PDT, Oct 27, Anna Asbury, Kentucky

# 48:

4:32 am PDT, Oct 27, Katherine Ressman, Virginia

# 47:

4:23 am PDT, Oct 27, Glory Miller, South Carolina

# 46:

4:08 am PDT, Oct 27, Joanne Ferguson, Ohio

# 45:

3:27 am PDT, Oct 27, Dave Ockun, California
I am a strong supporter of Oxfam on this campaign. When you look at the numbers, it makes me sick to my stomach... Please pay the farmers what they deserve (a decent share of the coffee profits). Dave Ockun

# 44:

2:25 am PDT, Oct 27, Stephen Klein, Canada

# 43:

1:46 am PDT, Oct 27, Chris B, Tennessee

# 42:

1:28 am PDT, Oct 27, Timothy Bruck, Ohio

# 41:

1:09 am PDT, Oct 27, Jennifer Cribbs, Ohio

# 40:

11:36 pm PDT, Oct 26, Debbie Pintacura, California
As an ex employee for Starbucks I know how important fair trade coffee is to Starbucks and to the farmers that Starbucks purchases from. They do have wonderful programs but I would ask that they look into the situation in Ethiopia as they have for the Columbian farmers. Schools and shelter has been provided due to starbucks care for the farmers in some countries. Please do the same for this country-Starbucks was a wonderful company to work for and I know that they will take this petition very seriously.

# 39:

11:32 pm PDT, Oct 26, Sandi Somers, Canada

# 38:

11:05 pm PDT, Oct 26, Jon C Marshall Sr, Kentucky

# 37:

9:48 pm PDT, Oct 26, Name not displayed, Michigan
Starbucks is in a place to be an exceptional business leader. A measure of your richness is how you value, respect, and honor the people that work for you, directly or indirectly. Corporation lack integrity in today's world- Become the one that stands out and you will know what true success feels like. May you empower the people who work for you and make this world a better place. Thank you.

# 36:

8:48 pm PDT, Oct 26, Tara Namowicz, New Jersey

# 35:

8:47 pm PDT, Oct 26, Name not displayed, California

# 34:

8:42 pm PDT, Oct 26, Miranda Hays, Georgia

# 33:

8:08 pm PDT, Oct 26, Anastasia Bodnar, Florida
The profit margin on coffee is so large that it wouldn't even affect Starbucks negatively. In fact, it should be a whole new advertising campaign, about Starbucks being a responsible global citizen and helping those most in need to help themselves...

# 32:

8:04 pm PDT, Oct 26, Joanne Binkley, Tennessee

# 31:

7:30 pm PDT, Oct 26, Mary Chapman, Oregon

# 30:

7:24 pm PDT, Oct 26, Lynda Quadland, Texas

# 29:

7:00 pm PDT, Oct 26, Sue Hird, Australia
ethopia deserves to have control over the coffeeit produces

# 28:

6:13 pm PDT, Oct 26, Brian Reynolds, New Jersey

# 27:

5:29 pm PDT, Oct 26, Abbe Anderson, Maine

# 26:

5:18 pm PDT, Oct 26, Jarrett Morgan, Texas

# 25:

5:14 pm PDT, Oct 26, Michael Mitsuda, California
Yet another reason as to why I refuse to drink starcraps coffee.

# 24:

4:54 pm PDT, Oct 26, Patti Cassidy, Rhode Island

# 23:

4:45 pm PDT, Oct 26, Holly Hipkins, Pennsylvania

# 22:

4:16 pm PDT, Oct 26, Vicki Cleveland, Michigan

# 21:

3:44 pm PDT, Oct 26, Name not displayed, California

# 20:

3:43 pm PDT, Oct 26, Karen Gray, Indiana

# 19:

3:40 pm PDT, Oct 26, Renee Kirkpatrick, Texas
These are poor people, by paying them a fair share of coffee profits you are helping them to survive.

# 18:

3:38 pm PDT, Oct 26, Cosmic Rhino Gifts, California

# 17:

2:29 pm PDT, Oct 26, Robin Johnson, North Carolina

# 16:

2:09 pm PDT, Oct 26, Angelina Bugli, Pennsylvania
Starbucks makes millions and should be ashamed of profiting off the poor who supply the product which their company benefits from. I for one will not do business with such companies until they change their policies.

# 15:

2:09 pm PDT, Oct 26, Anna Karadis, Australia
Well done Starbucks on your success throughout the countries !!! It is only "fair that you do the right thing now and acknowledge the poor farmers ."This will further increase your business as people will stand by you."Do the right thing""

# 14:

2:08 pm PDT, Oct 26, Kathryn Hamilton, Massachusetts

# 13:

2:05 pm PDT, Oct 26, Chris Stanton, Alabama

# 12:

1:55 pm PDT, Oct 26, Denise Lytle, New Jersey

# 11:

1:46 pm PDT, Oct 26, Thomas Pirovano, Switzerland

# 10:

1:43 pm PDT, Oct 26, Franziska Eber, Germany

# 9:

1:23 pm PDT, Oct 26, Name not displayed, Illinois

# 8:

1:22 pm PDT, Oct 26, Lauri Peacock, New Mexico

# 7:

1:15 pm PDT, Oct 26, Rene Friberg, Washington

# 6:

1:03 pm PDT, Oct 26, David Dunkleberger, Pennsylvania

# 5:

1:03 pm PDT, Oct 26, Caroline Bissey, New Zealand

# 4:

11:39 am PDT, Oct 26, Concerned For us all, North Carolina
its all bout the big companies making millions meanwhile the people who actually toil in the fields and farms stay poor. what a wonderful world huh? PATHETIC AND I DO NOT DRINK STARBUCKS

# 3:

11:30 am PDT, Oct 26, Michele Long, Kentucky

# 2:

11:10 am PDT, Oct 26, W Jo Woller, Michigan

# 1:

10:58 am PDT, Oct 26, Name not displayed, California

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