Moreover, the article notes that Ethiopia’s case “should be treated as an eye opener for Uganda that intends to do business with Starbucks or any multinational for that matter“.   Starbucks and the Government of Ethiopia were recently involved in a dispute over coffee trademark issues.  The article says that with such a high poverty level, the Ugandan government should also look into using as much of its resources as possible to negotiate a favorable deal with the coffee giant. 

    The real loser, however, might be Kingston Ontario based coffee retailer Multatuli.  They’ve been the official supplier on Parliament Hill for a few years and they haven’t been replaced (yet) – but at a time when consumers are increasingly green conscious, Starbucks incursion may not sit well.   According to an editorial with Osprey News, Multatuli “composts its coffee waste, uses renewable energy to fuel its roasters, and deals fair-trade coffee grounds it purchases from producers in underdeveloped countries such as Nicaragua and Guatemala“.   I suppose there’s no room at the House of Commons cafeteria for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s environmental plans?

     Meanwhile, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s show Lateline Business recently had a report on fair trade, with a spotlight on economists arguing for free, as opposed to fair trade.  Professor Sinclair Davidson’s objection to fair trade is that it “creates a situation where those farmers who are able to access the label are rewarded” and also that the fair trade labeling system is not monitoring as closely and as well as it should be.   You can watch the news report and read a transcript by clicking here!

     This short, and easy to read book places importance on beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and Coca-Cola in the major Western historical developments.  As someone used to reading all too often drab social, military, economic and political histories, I was pleased to have read such an engaging book.  

     First of all, what many of these beverages have in common is their antiseptic properties.  Coffee and tea of course need to be boiled for preparation, which helps kill off many of the harmful bacteria, making them safer to drink than untreated water.  In 18th and 19th century England, for instance, tea consumption helped reduce mortality rates from water-borne diseases, which in turn allowed more and more people to congregate into urban areas, which in turn helped provide the workforce for the Industrial Revolution.    Similarly, wine and beer in earlier times were also safer to drink than local water sources.

     The chapters on spirits and Coca-Cola are interesting in that we learn of those two drinks’ truly global reach, particularly in the American context.   In the early history of the United States and North America, rum was part of a tragic trading circle, where African slaves extracted sugar in the Caribbean, which was sent north to the British North American colonies to distill into rum, which was in turn used to buy more African slaves.   Meanwhile, starting in the early 20th century, and continuing into today, Coca-Cola has come to symbolize the economic and cultural imperialism of the United States.

     As I was reading through the book, I was thinking about possibilities and implications of water- especially bottled water – being the next defining beverage in humankind’s history.   Standage touches upon this idea in his epilogue.   He highlights the incredible growth of bottled water sales in developed countries and some intriguing findings (most bottled water is just as safe if not safer than treated water in developed countries), and he writes a bit of the lack of clean adequate water in so many many places around the world.  The author, however, does not attempt to solve the water issue, but instead leaves us with something to think about.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses, by Tom Standage. Published by Doubleday Canada, 2005. 311 pages.

     According to a recent Canadian census report, organic farming is bigger than ever, says the Toronto Star.   Statistics Canada says the number of certified organic producers in the country has risen nearly 60 percent since 2001.  While this is a huge growth in the industry, and represents a huge boost to small, local producers – there’s still lots of room to grow.  A spokesperson for the Canadian Organic Growers association is quoted as saying that “the No. 1 issue right now in the organic industry is there are not enough domestic suppliers.”   Click HERE! if you want to read the official Statistics Canada report.

“Most folks would at least pay lip service to the virtues of “doing unto others.” The fair trade movement is a way to do more than talk. Yes, you might pay a little more, but you’ll get a better product, and you’ll be following the Golden Rule. That’s a mandate we can all live with.”

     At issue was the right to use the Yirgacheffe and Sidamo names in marketing, with the Ethiopian government arguing that retaining the right to use those names would help provide millions of dollars of needed revenue to one of the poorest countries on Earth.  

     The details will be revealed later this month, but according to the article the two parties agreed to “sign a licensing, distribution and marketing agreement that recognised …..Ethiopia’s speciality coffees.”  

     The event, sponsored by a range of groups and organizations, is set up to promote fair trade issues and products through contests, concerts and whole whole lot of information.   New Zealand popstars are lending their talents to the affair, while another organization is promoting the issue through a poster contest for children.   Meanwhile, to coincide with Fair Trade Fortnight, New Zealand’s Worldvision offices became fair trade workplaces themselves.