Written question asked by Tony Worthington (Labour) on Thursday, 24 October 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 November 2002. It was answered by Clare Short (Labour) on Monday, 4 November 2002 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Dept for International Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if it is her policy to support (a) co-operation between coffee producing governments to stop more beans entering the market than can be sold and (b) the scheme agreed by coffee producing governments to reduce supply by increasing the quality of coffee traded.

Answer: Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if it is her policy to support (a) co-operation between coffee producing governments to stop more beans entering the market than can be sold and (b) the scheme agreed by coffee producing governments to reduce supply by increasing the quality of coffee traded. [78053] Clare Short: The UK Government support the objectives of the 2001 International Coffee Agreement. Co-operation between coffee producing governments to restrict supplies entering the market has been pursued a number of times in the past without much success. The Coffee Retention Plan agreed in 2000 by the Association of Coffee Producing Countries was formally abandoned earlier this year. The International Coffee Organisation (ICO) Quality Initiative started on 1 October 2002 and has the backing of all ICO producing and consuming countries. The scheme is voluntary and requests that producer members do not export coffee below certain standards set by the organisation. Although the scheme has deficiencies and may cause problems for some exporters it is seen by most producers as a step in the right direction.

Secondary information