Starbucks donates $1.5 million to boost rural education in China

BEIJING, (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. coffee giant Starbucks has pledged to work with Chinese organizations to provide 40 million yuan (5 million U.S. dollars) to give poor Chinese students from rural areas better access to education.

Starbucks and the Soong Ching-ling Foundation (SCLF), a social welfare organization set up in 1982 named after the late Chinese leader Soong Ching-ling, on Tuesday signed an agreement to launch the China Education Project in Beijing.

Starbucks donated 12 million yuan (1.5 million U.S. dollars) to kick-start the project at the signing ceremony.

According to the agreement, around 3,000 female teachers from 1,000 primary and middle schools in five western provinces will be given training during the summer and winter holidays to improve their teaching skills and provide them with updated learning techniques.

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Coffee May Help Adults and Children With ADD/ADHD

Coffee May Help Adults and Children With Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)

Mild Stimulant of Caffeine Natural Alternative to Drugs

PARLIN, N.J.,/PRNewswire/ -- Coffee consumption by sufferers of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) may help to calm and focus their minds. No known rigorous medical studies have as yet been conducted to confirm anecdotal evidence, but parents of hyperactive children notice beneficial effects of coffee on their ADD/ADHD-afflicted children. Observations of the effectiveness of coffee in calming kids are numerous in ADD/ADHD forums and discussion sites across the Web.

Natural health proponent and well-being guru Dr. Andrew Weil has said that coffee may be of some help to sufferers of Attention Deficit Disorder: "I'm not aware of any herbal treatment for ADHD, except possibly coffee, which may work like Ritalin for some patients." Coffee is often touted by the alternative medical community as a safe and natural way to treat ADD/ADHD.

Kids diagnosed with ADD/ADHD are often given powerful drugs like Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine and Strattera, prescription medicines which increase the level of dopamine production by the body. Higher levels of dopamine calm and help focus overactive minds. Coffee can increase dopamine production in a natural way without risks associated with prescription drugs, since the only side effect of coffee may be minor headaches upon withdrawal. Kids should avoid using sugar to sweeten coffee as sugar aggravates the symptoms of ADD/ADHD.

Dozens of studies have been done on coffee recently and each new study seems to point to further health benefits of coffee consumption. One recent study showed high levels of antioxidants in coffee, leading to better health for those who consume more than two cups daily. Several studies have shown decreased risk for several common diseases, including type 2 diabetes, liver cancer, and breast cancer, and one study suggests the benefit of increased short-term memory.

Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, was quoted in a WebMD special report saying, "Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful. ... For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good."

Bird Friendly Coffee Seeks Place in American Market

By Danielle Trusso

(AXcess News) Washington - Most people don't associate birds with their morning cup of coffee, but scientists at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center have discovered that the connection between the two helps coffee farmers and the environment.

In 2000, the center launched the shade-grown coffee certification program to promote the growth of sustainable coffee, meaning coffee that is viable economically, environmentally and socio-culturally, said Richard Rice, a research scientist at the center.

Coffee grown in the shade of tree canopies, rather than on land cleared of other vegetation, provides a habitat for a number of species, including migratory birds, he said Thursday in a lecture at the National Zoo.

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Starbucks slumps

ROMA LUCIW

Globe and Mail Update

Shares of Starbucks Corp., king of the skim-milk decaf — hold the chocolate sprinkles — latte, lost some of their froth Monday after UBS analyst David Palmer stirred in a dose of pessimism, cutting the stock to “neutral” from “buy.”

Seattle-based Starbucks stock fell 93 cents (U.S.) or 2.62 per cent to $34.57 in New York. It has rallied 41.5 per cent in the last year and 18 per cent in 2006, hitting a record high of $35.63 on Friday.

The stock's recent rise — which has sent its price-to-earnings ratio close to a five-year high — as well as the potential for slower same-store sales growth, were behind the UBS downgrade.

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