Editor's Note: Gadaa.com would like to thank the Equal Exchange management for renaming their coffee products from "Oromia" as "Oromian" to reflect the authenticity of the products. That is the spirit of "fair trading," giving the politically & economically oppressed Oromo a fair share of the recognition. Gadaa.com encourages every Oromo with access to Equal Exchange products (especially in the Minnesota area) to buy the newly renamed Equal Exchange's Organic Oromian Coffee. Gadaa.com also commends those who are behind this renaming project for their bold initiative. Click here for the online store.

Equal Exchange Mulls Re-naming Ethiopian Coffee
The Wedge Community Co-Op - January 30, 2008

Joe Riemann, Equal Exchange Coffee Co-op and Arfasse Gemeda, Youth Organizer for the Oromo Community of Minnesota

By Barth Anderson

Is Organic Ethiopian coffee misnamed? Equal Exchange thinks so, and out of respect for the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, Equal Exchange Coffee Co-op is changing the name of its Organic Ethiopian coffee to Organic Oromian.

Fair Trade Organic Ethiopian Coffee is Equal Exchange's second best selling "Point of Origin" coffee (Colombian is first) and the coffee company purchased over 420,000 lbs of coffee from Ethiopia last year, for use in various blends.

Equal Exchange will test-launch this name change in Minnesota co-ops in February.

"Some customers may see it as just a new name for their coffee," said Equal Exchange's Joe Riemann, responsible for spearheading this project, "but coffee means so much to the Oromian people. This name change is powerful for them on a real personal, social, and cultural identity level."

The name change from Ethiopian to "Organic Oromian" would specify for consumers where the coffee comes from, Oromia (o-ROH-mia), which is the homeland of the Oromo people ...