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30 January 2007
Partnership Aims to Enhance Recognition and Promotion of Ethiopian Coffees
(CSRwire) London and Washington D.C. --January 29, 2007-- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., a leading roaster and distributor of specialty coffees, has signed a Letter of Intent with the Government of Ethiopia that signifies a commitment to work with Ethiopian fine coffee stakeholders on their initiative to bring greater value to Ethiopian coffees and coffee producers. As part of this partnership, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters will provide its expertise in further developing the program to ensure that premium coffees from Ethiopia are recognized for their distinctive tastes and qualities and to establish better treatment and pricing for Ethiopian farmers.
In 2005, the Ethiopian government filed applications with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and foreign trademark offices to protect its rights to its three heritage coffees –- Sidamo, Yirgacheffe and Harar. The Government of Ethiopia has also been talking directly with coffee roasters to find ways to increase its leverage in the global marketplace to drive more income to Ethiopian farmers and others involved in its coffee industry.
Commented Getachew Mengistie, Director General of the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office spearheading the process, "We are excited that Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is joining with us in a spirit of partnership and collaboration. We believe this type of commercial cooperation can create mutually beneficial relationships and become the new standard for best practice in the coffee industry. This is an innovative project that will help consumers better understand the unique characteristics and true value of Ethiopian coffees and help to improve the livelihoods of millions in Ethiopia for whom fine coffee is a vital source of income."
The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office also reported ongoing conversations with many other companies around the world from Japan to USA.
As part of its commitment, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters will participate in discussions with Ethiopian stakeholders, including Ethiopian government officials, farmer organizations, the Ethiopian Coffee Exporters’ Association, domestic US roasters, and other coffee industry organizations. The discussions aim to bring together influential segments of the coffee industry to map out a strategy that will help Ethiopia strengthen the positioning of its coffee in the marketplace. The first industry meeting will take place in conjunction with the East African Fine Coffees Association conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February.
"We support the Ethiopian government’s efforts to enhance the value of its specialty coffees, which are among the finest coffees in the world," said Rick Peyser, Director of Social Advocacy and Coffee Community Outreach at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. "This effort is true to our mission of enhancing the coffee experience from tree to cup and addressing the social and economic concerns in the farming communities from which our coffees are sourced. We believe this partnership with the Ethiopian government will provide the greatest benefit to its coffee farmers and help more coffee lovers appreciate the unique quality and flavor characteristics of specialty Ethiopian coffees."
About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) is recognized as a leader
in the specialty coffee industry for its award-winning coffees and successful
business practices. The Company sells over 100 high quality selections, including
Fair Trade Certified™ and organic coffees under the Green Mountain Coffee
Roasters® and Newman’s Own® Organics brands. While the majority of the Company’s
revenue is derived from its wholesale, direct mail, and e-commerce operations
(www.GreenMountainCoffee.com), it also owns Keurig, Incorporated, a pioneer
and leading manufacturer of gourmet single-cup brewing systems. Keurig markets
premium single-cup (K-Cup) coffee brewing systems for the office and the home
while the Company licenses, manufactures and sells Green Mountain coffee and
tea K-Cups® for offices, homes and other venues. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
was recently ranked No. 1 on the Business Ethics list of "100 Best Corporate
Citizens," and has been recognized repeatedly by Forbes, Fortune Small
Business, and the Society of Human Resource Management as an innovative, high-growth,
socially responsible company.
About the Ethiopian Fine Coffee TM Initiative
The Ethiopian Fine Coffees Trade Mark Initiative is led by the Ethiopian Intellectual
Property Office in conjunction and consultation with a specially formed Coffee
Sector Stakeholder Committee including private and cooperative exporters and
other entities supporting the coffee sector. It began in 2004 and has to date
successfully registered trade marks for Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe in more
than 30 countries. In the USA Yirgacheffe TM was granted in 2006 and the other
applications are pending judgment or in process. Licensing negotiations in
the USA and other countries began in the second half of 2006. The Project
has financial support from the UK’s Department for International Development,
and advice and training from Washington DC based NGO Light Years IP, but no
funding directly from coffee companies.
CSRwire
For more information please contact:
Ron Layton, Founder and Chief Executive
Light Years IP
202-547-7515
www.lightyearsip.net
Getachew Mengistie
Ethiopia Intellectual Property Office
251 115 534 969
Ethiopian Embassy, Washington D.C.
202-364-1200
www.ethiopianembassy.org/index.shtml
Rick Peyser
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
www.greenmountaincoffee.com
www.lightyearsip.net