Dropsafe

by Alec Muffett

The real price of coffee?

£121 per kilo? Damn, that must be some good shit… Or it could be that the numbers are out? Jamaica Blue Mountain comes in at only 84 quid per kilo.

The movie cited is playing at the London Film Festival, so we know where the inspiration comes from; I shall be interested to see what various friends of mine make of the backlash, whether it’s a journalistic conspiracy, or just mindless reportage of some PR flack.

The four-entry movie “blog” is a bit tragic… anyway:

Independent

Ethiopian plantation workers are paid a daily rate that is a fraction of the price of one London espresso. Now growers are fighting for fairer trade.

The real price of coffee

By Stephen Castle
Published: 27 October 2006

“Coffee came first from Ethiopia,” says Hailu Gebre Hiwot, president of the country’s coffee exporters’ association, as he sips on a cup of a deep, rich variety, “and so did mankind”.

[…]

A documentary film, Black Gold, released this month, captures the astonishment of workers in the hills of Ethiopia when they are told how much their produce earns for foreigners. Coffee is sold for the equivalent of 2,000 Ethiopian birr a kilo (£121); they are paid one thousandth of that.

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Comments

5 responses to “The real price of coffee?”

  1. Alecm
    Ethopian less than 30 quid / kg

    http://www.hrhiggins.co.uk/coffees/original_coffees/ethiopia

    Reply
  2. chele
    re: The real price of coffee?

    Perhaps the £121 per kilo price is calculated on the retail price of an espreso?

    Reply
  3. brand
    re: The real price of coffee?

    Sort of rhymes with the “street price” of other drugs.

    The Chicago Tribune ran an article just last week about some Panamanian coffee that they claim goes for US$103.90 a pound (metric / euro conversions left as an exercise for the insomniac student):

    Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/columnists/chi-0610240386oct25,1,7766673.column?ctrack=1&cset=true

    Choice quote:

    Was it that much better than other coffees? My answer is the same as my answer to that question asked about the few $100 wines I’ve tasted. Not on a price-per-sip basis. Yes, the Esmeralda dances wildly across the palate, but a good Ethiopian Yirgacheffe has very similar flavor characteristics and does a pretty lively dance itself.

    <end quote>

    Fine. Whatever. Look, as long as it’s got 150 mg + of caffeine per mug and doesn’t grow hair on my liver, I think I can live with the cheap stuff.

    Reply
  4. Joe
    re: The real price of coffee?

    Sorry, but Wagamama is quite possibly the most horrid chain of fast food available. It clais to be tasty and nutritious yet on the only 4 times i have been either my brother or myself has had to send food back due to poor cooking or horrific flavour. There are other “Asian” noodle bars of similar intent in my vicinity and they do this style of “fast” asian cuisine far more justice!

    Reply
  5. Joe
    re: The real price of coffee?

    Also on the point of high quality coffee. It has to either enjoyed on its own, but preferably with some form of dessert item that will enhance its flavour and bring out the best in it….much like wine pairing, works in the same way!

    Reply

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