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, what assessment she has made of the impact of the low price of unprocessed coffee on the livelihoods of coffee producers.

Answer: Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact of the low price of unprocessed coffee on the livelihoods of coffee producers. [78052] Clare Short: The UK forms part of the European Community's delegation to the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) and which deliberates on coffee matters. In 2001, the ICO organised the first World Coffee Conference and which drew attention to the challenges posed by low coffee prices. The UK is also a member of the Common Fund for Commodities which has a particular interest in the livelihoods of commodity dependent peoples, particularly in the least developed countries. The main cause of low coffee prices is oversupply, with production far exceeding consumption. Many poor smallholder farmers, particularly in Africa and Latin America, are dependent on coffee for a livelihood. The dramatic fall in prices has therefore had, and continues to have a significant livelihood and development concerns.

Secondary information