A £2 cappuccino gives the coffee bean farmer just 2p. The film Black Gold by Londoners Nick and Marc Francis has exposed the injustices woven into the coffee industry. It has rattled the cages of coffee executives the world over. The last thing they want is for their customers to get a conscience.
Interestingly even the Fairtrade label doesn’t come out of this well either. The bottom line is that farmers are too far removed from their customers. In other words, their potential profits are stripped out by middlemen and markets are directed by just four big multinationals.
The film is due to open in the UK on June 8th.
“REMARKABLE – A moving but scandalous story. Black Gold has extraordinary power”
Daily Telegraph
The Coffee House 
Thanks Matt. I will watch out for that.
Truly disgusting. It’s a twisted world we live in.
I think despondency is about to overcome me.
No doubt Starbucks will defensively spin this to their advantage (or try to at least).
Starbucks refused to see the Francis brothers at first. After the film did well at Sundance they changed their minds and invited Marc and Nick to Starbucks HQ in Seattle. Oh the power! And the film only cost £325,000 to make. This is what film making is meant to be about.
Starbucks claim to be ethical because they sell Fairtrade coffee which is commendable but it’s a limited commitment and until they go 100% Fairtrade then they fall short of being 100% ethical. And they fail to address the fact that their coffee shops are swallowing up small businesses.
And I believe the film exposes that the Fairtrade idea also falls short of its intentions. The film is that hard hitting.
Yes, I noticed you said that in your write-up. I’ll be watching that part with close interest.
Enjoy your bank holiday.