MP launches Ethiopian coffee project

Tina Longden (Lorna Young Foundation) Afzal Khan (former Lord Mayor of Manchester), Bishop of Manchester, an Oromo refugee, James Purnell (MP for Stalybridge & Minister for Work & Pensions)


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Published: 20 January 2009

James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has launched an exciting new business venture which will cut out the middlemen in purchasing, importing, branding and selling a new Ethiopian coffee within the UK. The Bishop of Manchester and Afzal Khan, former Lord Mayor of the City of Manchester, also backed the initiative.

The Lorna Young Foundation has initiated this new ‘Beyond Fairtrade - community to community’ social enterprise, named ‘The Oromo Coffee Company’. The new company is owned by the Oromo community in Stalybridge (who are Ethiopian). By creating and selling their own brand of roast and ground coffee, sourced directly from smallholders in Ethiopia, they are able to contribute to the local community in a way that sidesteps exploitation globally and locally.

By shortening the supply chain, a greater level of profit – even than achieved by Fair Trade – will be generated for both the social enterprise in Greater Manchester and the coffee growers in Ethiopia.

The Revd Ian Stubbs, vicar of St George’s church, Stalybridge which has been instrumental in supporting the project idea said “It's been a real privilege to meet members of the Oromo community who came to Tameside as refugees and to see how they are willing to work together on this venture. By supporting this exciting initiative churches and faith groups will build even further on their excellent record in promoting Fairtrade. We hope that by producing a smashing cup of ‘Beyond Fairtrade’ coffee we can also educate people about the exploitation that all too often occurs in the supply chain of commodities that we buy from abroad.” 

The venture is being backed by Tameside Council, with commercial support coming from Bolling Coffee, experts in importing and roasting coffee from around the world. Bolling will assist the enterprise in importing and processing the new product. 

Ian Agnew, Director of the Lorna Young Foundation said “This is a totally unique project. Fair Trade is a brilliant development and is now quite rightly, entering the mainstream. But Fair Trade prices are still limited for most growers. The Lorna Young Foundation wants to go beyond this and it’s excellent to see that the Government here recognise that this kind of initiative needs to be supported. We are so pleased that Bolling Coffee are lending us their assistance and we would like to invite other businesses to come forward to offer support, sponsorship or mentoring to help the enterprise to become a big success when we come to marketing the new coffee”.


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