GNP Show 004 (Half Hour) - Coffee

On this week’s show...

• Making money off the Mafia in Sicily
• Coffee growers and “fair trade”
• Coffee cooperatives generate income and peace

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.

Coffee Segment (18:00)

There are almost half a million coffee shops around the U.S.  The choices you’ll find are a lot more than instant coffee or a cup of Joe from your Mr. Coffee.  More than two billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world every day and Americans drink more than anybody else. But it’s not a cheap habit (as most of us know).  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, which fluxuates. But Nick says you don’t always know what “fair trade” really means.

Delicious Peace (part of coffee segment)

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 band together 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.

: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 - Billboard

1:00 – Anti Mafia Tourism

7:10 - Coffee Segment

17:28 - Delicious Peace

28:00 - End