The global coffee market is currently plagued by 2 paradoxes, a coffee boom in consuming countries, and a coffee crisis in producing countries (over supply of low quality coffee and shortage of high quality coffee) which is actually driving the coffee market (Daviron and Ponte, 2005). After the termination of the International Coffee Agreement between producing and consuming countries in 1989, the coffee market has been in a flux, with market forces and over supply bringing down the coffee prices and hence income of farmers. According to ICO (2004), earnings by coffee producing countries (exports f.o.b) were some US$10-12 billion 15 years ago which has changed to around US$5 billion in 2003 Though the percentage share of the retail coffee price that goes to the farmer has gone above 10% in recent times, it hasn’t offset the declining prices (Oxfam, 2001).
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4000/com.5360Altmetric score:
Dimensions Citation Count:
Publication year
2008
Authors
Language
English
Keywords
coffee, smallholders
Geographic
Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico
