TooMuchCoffee.com Makes Good Use of RSS Feed

In a recent article, RSS XML was discussed and a link to a tutorial was given. Click for RSS Article

There is a European website that makes good use of RSS and I invite you to take a look at their website. It is TooMuchCoffee.com - A meeting place for European coffee lovers. TooMuchCoffee.com

If you have a website you can now offer BCE headlines to your readers in the same manner as TooMuchCoffee.com.

US rejoining ICO no magic wand for coffee farmers

Reuters Investor
By Martha Sanchez

BOGOTA, Colombia, April 5 (Reuters) - The return of the United States to the International Coffee Organization would not be a "magic wand" for suffering growers but it would bolster political decisions at the international body, the group's executive director said.

The United States, the world's largest coffee consumer, said last month it was considering rejoining the ICO. Washington left the ICO more than a decade ago, arguing that the organization wanted to control prices artificially through quotas.

"We must not think that if the United States decides to rejoin the ICO everything is going to change overnight with a magic wand. But it is very important that the United States sit at the table to listen and find solutions," Nestor Osorio, executive director of the ICO, told Reuters in an interview late on Friday.

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Coffee - The Market

by Stuart Brown - Editor - FirstScience.com

Coffee is the second most valuable legally traded commodity on Earth (after oil) with global retail sales of coffee estimated to be $70 billion. Of this approximately $6 billion finds its way into the hands of the producing countries, and the rest goes to those who market it and sell it to us in various forms (and often for ridiculously high prices) in places like coffee bars. Coffee is unusual in that 70 per cent of the world crop is grown on farms smaller than 25 acres, and hence it is often a family run, and people intensive endeavour that provides a living for over 20 million people around the world. Its name is derived from the Arabic qahwa, which literally means "that which prevents sleep" and we know that it was being made in the 9th century by boiling the beans. The drinks made from coffee beans soon became known as Arabian Wine as Muslims, who were forbidden to drink wine, used coffee as a stimulating substitute. It was discovered by around the 13th century that roasting the beans produced a better flavour, and our modern drink was born.

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Giant And Transfair USA Partner On Fair Trade Certified Coffee Initiatives

(CSRwire) Landover, MD - Giant Food LLC announced that it will be partnering with TransFair USA, the nation's only independent, third-party certifier of Fair Trade products, to offer five varieties of Fair Trade Certified coffee in all 199 Giant and Super G stores. The Fair Trade Certified" organic coffee is marketed under the brand name Cafe JaVaNa gourmet coffee and is available in five blends - Breakfast Blend, French Roast, Colombian, Sumatran, and Sumatran Decaf.

"Giant has a long standing record as a socially responsible company. Offering Fair Trade Certified coffee to our customers builds on that commitment," said Barry Scher, Vice President of Public Affairs for Giant Food. "Fair Trade Certified is the gold standard of socially responsible certification initiatives. And Giant is happy to partner with TransFair USA to bring the Fair Trade experience to our suppliers and customers."

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BADGETT’S COFFEE EJOURNAL ANNOUNCES COFFEEWANTADS CLASSIFIED AD PROGRAM

Finally, there is a classified ad program on the Internet that is dedicated to coffee and the restaurant industry. This online classified ad program allows users to target coffee and restaurant folks with anything you would find in a coffee shop, a restaurant, or a serious coffee person’s home. The program is a sophisticated, yet highly intuitive and easy to use ad service that was just launched by Badgett’s Coffee eJournal.

And best of all, most ad categories are FREE!

“There are many large Internet venues for selling, but their size is their strength and also their weakness. They are so large it is easy to have your item get lost among the tens of thousands of competing sales items,” said Robert Badgett, publisher of Badgett’s Coffee eJournal (BCE). BCE has been publishing coffee news and articles since May 2000.

CoffeeWantAds is categorized into the following groups: Online Auctions, Announcements, Coffee Equipment-Residential, Coffee Equipment-Commercial, Restaurant Equipment, Coffee Beans-Green, Coffee Beans-Roasted, Professional Services, Mobile catering, Collectibles, Business Opportunities, and Employment. The ad program features photo uploading, search capabilities, privacy email, security, and employment ads listed by state.

This new program can be found on the Web at CoffeeWantAds

Dessert Expo and Coffee Fest Shows in Las Vegas Offer a Unique Showcase

NEW YORK, PRNewswire/ -- Two of the food industry's most notable segments have joined forces to introduce an unprecedented showcase at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, June 12-14, 2004. Hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of industry visitors will converge at the magnificent Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas for two great trade events: The Great American Dessert Expo and CoffeeFest.
The combined events will draw a cross section of the food industry and showcase everything related to the unique and growing dessert industry, from basic ingredients and equipment to the most exquisite chocolate desserts as well as the latest in coffees and related projects.

Coffee Fest, now in its 13th year, is produced by LifeStyle Events, Inc of Seattle, WA. CoffeeFest is the largest event showcasing specialty coffee, gourmet teas, and other related industries. Each CoffeeFest features educational programming, keynote speakers, networking opportunities and other special events. In addition to Las Vegas, Coffee Fest also takes place in Seattle and Chicago. LifeStyle Events, Inc. was founded by New York native Alan Silverman, a former restauranteur, whose company has produced and managed many important special events.

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The bitter cost of one nation's coffee boom

In just 20 years, Vietnamese coffee has come from nowhere to dominate the global market. Its success has left a nasty taste in many mouths, reports Antony Wild, Independent Digital (UK)

Next month the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) in Berners Street, London, will host its council meeting. And it promises to be a strong brew, with the word "crisis" figuring large - and high - on the agenda. At issue will be whether the ICO, a once-powerful commodities regulator now reduced to a paper tiger, can solve three systemic problems: chronically low prices, a slump in quality and massive global unemployment.

Underlying everything is the effect of the huge increase in production of Vietnamese coffee at a time when the ICO, which would once have been able to withdraw millions of bags of coffee from the global market at the stroke of a pen, has been rendered largely toothless by the withdrawal of the United States in 1995.

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Happy 5th Anniversary to INeedCoffee

Today is INeedCoffee's fifth anniversary! In case you don't know this website, it is worth a click if you are a coffee lover. Pay a visit to INeedCoffee
and tell Michael, Mazel Tov!

Robert

Gathering Grounds in Missoula, Montana

If you're ever in Missoula, Montana, there is a very nice coffee house near the campus that is definitely worth a visit. It is called Gathering Grounds and is located just below the "M" on the mountain above the University of Montana campus. It is one of the most comfortable coffee shops I have ever visited, with cozy easy chairs and sofas scattered around its large customer area. And, even more important the barista, Ms Hauenstein, knows how to pull a good shot of espresso.