[image from abc. For those new to the Ethiopia coffee trademark issue, start here]

Starbucks met with the Ethiopian government a second time about the Ethioipian coffee trademark issue, this time with better results than the first.

In fact, after this meeting, the two sides made a joint annoucement that they “have agreed to work together in their shared vision to increase Ethiopian farmer incomes and enhance the sustainable production of fine coffee.”

The main change, in terms of the trademarking and licensing issue, is that Starbucks has gone from antagonistic to neutral.

Says Seth Petchers of Oxfam in a response to the announcement: “Starbucks now says it won’t block the initiative, but what it hasn’t said is how it will actively support Ethiopia’s stated efforts to obtain trademarks for its coffees which will bring added benefits to poor farmers.”

The Oxfam statement goes on to point out that while Starbucks’ new initiatives to aid Ethiopian coffee farmers — announced Feb. 15 — sound sweet, what Ethiopians are asking for is a fair trade, not aid: “What the Ethiopians have asked coffee roasters to do is recognize Ethiopia’s right to control and share in the value of the country’s specialty coffee names through trademarks.”

Wondwossen at Coffee Politics has a more pessimistic view regarding this joint announcement between Starbucks and the Ethiopian government: “The joint press release from Ethiopia and Starbucks, no matter how tactfully drafted, shows that Starbucks has not changed its position. It is disappointing that Ethiopia would put its name on this release, which leaves the misleading impression that it has accepted Starbucks’ rejection of its trademarks.”

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