Global News Partnership Show #04 on Coffee to air week of June 4, 2011

Piece Description

• Making money off the Mafia in Sicily
• Where Coke goes in Africa, so goes medicine
• Coffee growers and “fair trade”
• A coffee cooperative generates income and peace
• The single and pregnant stigma in South Korea
• A purple berry from the Amazon booms onto the global market
• Music from the Arctic Circle

Anti-Mafia Tourism (5:32)

According to the Italian government, one third of Sicilians live in poverty.  Many say the Mafia is largely to blame.  For decades, it’s had a stranglehold on the economy and citizens of the island.  But anti-Mafia groups are finding creative ways to fight back through tourism.  Eighteen miles from Palermo, a mob boss’ farmhouse is now a small hotel and restaurant where exquisite meals are spiced with honesty.  Nancy Greenleese reports.

Cola Life (5:00)

“Coke adds life”—remember that marketing slogan? Well, it may have some truth to it -- if Simon Berry gets his way. When Simon was working in Africa, it became apparent to him that there was a drastic shortage of medicine to treat fairly simple illnesses such as diarrhea. But he did notice that Coca-Cola seemed to reach even the most remote villages. And so the idea of ColaLife was born. He joins Peggy Wehmeyer to discuss this simple solution to a challenging problem.

Coffee Interview (3:47)

More than two billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world every day, and Americans drink more than anyone else. But it’s not a cheap habit: the average price for a cup of coffee is around $3. So it might surprise you to find out that the farmers who grow and sell coffee beans only get about three cents a cup. Most of the money made off coffee goes to the big conglomerates that buy and process the coffee beans. Nick Francis, who followed the coffee trail from farmers to coffee houses in the UK and U.S., produced an award-winning documentary called “Black Gold.” He says so-called fair trade coffee was supposed to remedy some of that imbalance by guaranteeing farmers a minimum price for their coffee, one that’s hopefully better than what they can get on the open market. But Nick says you don’t always know what “fair trade” really means.

Delicious Peace (6:32)

Often the only chance coffee farmers have to be successful is to band together in groups called cooperatives. In eastern Uganda, there’s one man who convinced his neighbors to form a cooperative a few years ago. Coffee is now the lifeblood of their small community, but not just in the way you might imagine. By teaming together they’ve not only increased their earnings, they’re also harvesting something else almost as priceless: peace among Muslims, Jews and Christians.  Bonnie Allen reports.

Unwed Mothers (5:02)

South Korea is considered to be fairly advanced in many ways, but traditional values remain strong. So if you’re single, and pregnant, you’re likely to be shunned – sometimes even by your own family. The few Korean women who choose to have their babies on their own face an ongoing struggle. Michael Rhee reports from Seoul.

Gentrifying Açai (5:12)

If you’re like many Americans, you’ve vowed to eat a little less and a little healthier after your Thanksgiving feast. Those small purple berries at your local health food store might be looking good right now. Açai, which comes from the Amazon, has recently exploded onto the global market. This so-called “super fruit” is made into juice or smoothies with claims of

better health and easy weight loss. But the picture isn’t quite as rosy for the people who grow and harvest the berries in Brazil. Kelley Weiss has this report.

Tundra Song (7:12)

Andreas Fliflet lives at the edge of the world: he records his music in his studio in a small town in Norway that’s 600 miles north of the Arctic Circle, overlooking the Arctic. His music is inspired by the region’s traditional nomadic herders, known as the Sami (SAH-mee).

:30 PROMO FOR THIS SHOW:

            On this week’s show we look at efforts to contain the Mafia in Sicily.  We also explore who makes the big money off of coffee, and how coffee growing produces more than profits.

            Grab your cup.

            It’s all brewed up on this week’s show from the Global News Partnership.

(ADD DATE AND TIME OF BROADCAST AND LOCAL STATION I.D.)

0:00 - 0:59 - Billboard

1:00 - 5:59 - No Audio

6:00 - 6:29 - Music Bed

Segment A

6:30 – Anti-Mafia Tourism

12:44 - Cola Life

19:00 - 19:59 - Music Bed

Segment B

20:00 - Coffee Interview

30:15 - Delicious Peace

39:00 - 39:59 - Music Bed

Segment C

40:00 - Unwed Mothers

45:44 - Gentrifying Acai

51:24 - Tundra Songs

58:59 - End