European and US coffee roasting distribution companies have signed an agreement to use Ethiopia’s coffee speciality trademarks.
This announcement was made by the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) earlier this month. his agreement follows legal battles with large coffee distributors, such as chain Starbucks, over Ethiopia’s right to trademark its indigenous coffee. Such a move would give the country a larger share of revenue from the industry. Wondwossen Belete, a representative of the EIPO director general, told the Ethiopian News Agency that the companies which signed the agreement included some of the biggest in Europe and the US, including 24 companies and one in the Netherlands.
Coffee is Ethiopia’s largest export, and generates 60% of its total export earnings while employing about 12 million people. he best Ethiopian coffee may be compared with the finest in the world, and premium washed Arabica beans fetch some of the highest prices on the world market. – Bua News
