Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24359 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-10-22
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 74 minutes

Synopsis
The global coffee trade is under investigation in BLACK GOLD, which illustrates how poor farmers in Third World countries are being left penniless as their richer First World counterparts continue to pay them far less than they should.

Customer Reviews

measured but powerful documentary
Black Gold contrasts the life of coffee-growers in Ethiopia with that of wealthy Westerners drinking high-quality Ethiopian coffee in London, Trieste and the States. Its power is cumulative - it doesn't rub your face in the contrasts. But when you see farmers who cannot afford to send children to school or even to feed them adequately, its difficult to resist the film's argument that this is not fair. You see what the Ethiopians are trying to do to make 'trade not aid' a reality. I'm buying Yirgacheffe, Sidamo and Harar coffee now though I guess the picture is little better in many other coffee-growing countries. Maybe I just need to avoid all unFair Trade coffees!

Ethiopian tragedy
This is an interesting doccumentary about the great tragedy of the Ethiopain coffee farmers in their poor communties trying to make a living and send their children to school and being screwed over by the big coffee coorporations.

It makes a rather sad viewing to know the utter pittance they are being paid and the billions the big companies make out of their product.

The main figure is a broker who tries to secure the farmers the best possible proce for their product and struggles against a system full of subsidised rich farmers.
One possible solution will be a massive switch to faretrade coffee.

The film is slighty long.

Needless suffering
Just seen Black Gold.I am disgusted with the way the world is run.Why,why can we pay the people who make a good produce what they worth?This documentary show how we get it wrong and if we help the less better off they can help us.Watch it and make your mind.