Written question asked by Bob Blizzard (Labour) on Thursday, 16 January 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 22 January 2003. It was answered by Clare Short (Labour) on Wednesday, 22 January 2003 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Dept for International Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, What steps she will take to address the difficulties faced by poor people in coffee growing countries. (Failed OPQ)

Answer: Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she will take to address the difficulties faced by poor people in coffee growing countries. [92209] Clare Short: The UK is committed to reducing global poverty as measured by progress towards achieving the MDGs. The Department for International Development has bilateral programmes in a number of coffee producing developing countries where poor people's livelihoods are significantly dependent on coffee production. These include Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda; and Guatemala and Nicaragua. The UK supports countries in the development and implementation of their poverty reduction strategies, including nationally owned agricultural diversification plans to deal with commodity dependency. In Uganda, DFID is supporting a feasibility analysis for coffee certification to help poor producers realise better prices for their production. DFID also supports research in several coffee producing countries aimed at improving the competitiveness of smallholder production.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 92209; 398 c305W
Session: 2002-03
Question not reached: Yes
Subjects: Crops Developing countries International assistance EU external trade Poverty Trade Foreign trade Coffee
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk