Black Gold – A Documentay About Coffee
May 21st, 2009
Ever been astounded by the number of coffee shops on any given high street? As a society we seem to have acquired an insatiable thrist for coffee in all its wonderful forms with many coffee chains making obscene amounts of money from our caffeine addiction.
Multinational coffee companies such as Starbucks now rule our highstreets and shopping malls using sometimes dubious marketing stategies to dominate this $80 billion industry. After oil, coffee is the most valuable trading commodity on planet earth.
While consumers in the so called developed world continue to pay through the nose for their favorite espresso based drink, the farmers in the coffee growing nations receive such miserly renumeration for their efforts that many are being forced to abandon their coffee fields.
Black Gold is a riveting documentary which follows Tedesse Maskela of the Oromia Coffee Growers Cooperative as he travels the world struggling to get farmers a fair price for the beans they grow.
The movie demostrates the huge amount of power wielded by the multinational players that dominate the world’s coffee trade. Commodity traders, the International coffee exchanges and the dealings of ministers at the World Trade Organisation reveal the challenges faced in the quest for a long-term solution for farmers.
July 4th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I my mind Black Gold is not a documentary because it fails to point to the main problem with Ethopia, which is not the price paid for their green coffee beans. The problem is with their government and huge population growth – their human rights record is poor, they discriminate against women, limit freedom of assembly, sexually exploit children and place them if forced labor, all land belongs to the State. This “documentary” should be pointing out the true issues Ethopians face, not a “bleeding heart”, whining Liberal unfactual view. In 2001 Ethopia received 1.6 billion dollars in foreign aid. Huge amounts of debt have been “forgiven” – just ask Russia. I don’t want to keep going on and on, but the true facts are out there if you want to look for it.
July 4th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Hey Hugh,
I don’t know enough about the plight of the Ethiopian people to argue with you although from what I have heard everything you say is true. However I find it bizarre that you think this doesn’t qualify as a documentary simply because it doesn’t discuss every problem with the country.
This is not a documentary about discrimination against women, sexual exploitation of children or government corruption. Its a documentary about coffee, African trade injustice and exploitation of the poor by the rich. I’d be interested to hear what your definition of a documentary is.
I see your are in the coffee business yourself. I would image this has a lot to do with your feelings on this subject. How do you feel about coffee growers getting a fair price for their coffee? Do you think that its something that should be ignored because there are bigger problems in the world?
August 28th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Well said admin, well said.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Like too many conservatives, Hugh denies anything which doesn’t create a profit for him and they never let the facts get in the way. So to them there is no injustice in the coffee industry despite the clearly documented facts. Likewise, despite the facts, there is no problem with man’s contribution to global warming (it’s all a liberal conspiracy supported by the scientific community!). etc., etc. Thank God for “whining liberals”: left to conservatives, slavery in the US would never have been ended.
September 4th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
BTW, the “Black Gold” sound on your site is very garbled. I watched it on TV (Independent Lens). Your other documentaries sound fine.
September 5th, 2009 at 3:20 am
Hi BWilder,
Thanks for your comments,
Yeah the sound is bad on “Black Gold”. Unfortunately I can’t find another version Online, but I’ll keep my eye out in case one turns up.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
I just purchased a new coffee roaster and I love it. I liked your post and I am going to try out some of your tips. Thanks!