Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union

The Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU) is an Ethiopian agricultural cooperative federation, established in June 1999, representing approximately 102,950 coffee growers, processors, and exporters of the Oromia Region of southern and western Ethiopia.[1] The union's members are organized into 115 cooperatives. They grow coffee of the arabica species exclusively, and produce both conventionally grown and organically grown beans. The union has chosen to bypass many of the middlemen that characterize the international coffee trade, sorting, roasting, and exporting its own coffee rather than simply growing and picking it the way most other Ethiopian coffee farmers do. The union returns 70 percent of its gross profits to its cooperatives.[2]

Overview

According to the OCFCU's website, the union's goals are as follows:

  1. To improve the farmer's income by exporting their coffee
  2. To maintain the quality of coffee production
  3. To improve and maintain the sustainability of the coffee industry
  4. To improve the quality and productivity of Ethiopian coffee
  5. To regulate and stabilize local markets
  6. To provide farmers and clients with reliable service

The OCFCU's headquarters are located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, and its General Manager is Tadesse Meskela.

Meskela and the OCFCU are featured in the 2006 documentary film Black Gold.

On January 30, 2007, Meskela had a meeting with the United Kingdom's prime minister, Tony Blair.[3]

The OCFCU has received assistance from Oxfam International to upgrade its offices.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Seager, Ashley. Starbucks stirred by fair trade film. The Guardian. 29 Jan. 2007.
  2. ↑ "Black Gold" illustrates coffee farmers' plight. Oxfam 21 Dec. 2007.
  3. ↑ http://www.blackgoldmovie.com/blog.php/?p=45
  4. ↑ http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/where_we_work/hornofafrica/news_publications/art3288.html

External links

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