Black Gold

So I was sent this by my dad and thought it was amazing. Not sure how related it is but worthwhile none the less.

Black Gold is a documentary about how important fair trade is for the coffee industry, more importantly coffee farmers in Ethiopia.

Fair Trade guarantees a minimum of $1.26/pound (a living wage) and access to credit at fair prices to poor farmers organized in cooperatives. These fair payments are invested in food, shelter, health care, education, and economic independence. As of January 15, 2003, world coffee prices are at their lowest level in 30 years, having fallen by 50 percent in three years. The global supply is estimated to be about 8 percent above demand and has accordingly depressed world prices. Coffee accounts for more than 60 percent of Ethiopia's exports, generating vital income for its population of 65 million, more than half of whom live on less than a dollar a day. Ethiopia's coffee income has dropped by US$110 million, severely affecting the one million families who depend on coffee for their income. While still selling to consumers in Western countries for around US$10 per pound, the world market price for coffee is less than US$0.50 per pound, of which farmers only receive half.

The rise in poverty level among Ethiopian coffee farmers has developed into another unexpected problem. Many farmers have abandoned coffee and started growing a more profitable crop: khat, a leafy narcotic often mentioned as the regions version of moonshine. Khat is chewed legally by millions of people in Africa and the Middle East. However, in Britain and United States (where it is illegal), khat can fetch as much as $200 a pound.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8rd0p_black-gold-part-1-of-8_news

Emilie Leonard