Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491365
STiR tea & coffee industry international 23 private, and NGO organizations were accepted through June. See a shortlist at: http://events.ethicalcorp.com/awards/ Web Namespace for Coffee Last fall, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced it was expanding the list of generic top level domains. Delegated strings, or the series of letters with which a website address can end, have since expanded to include over 250 new possibilities once of which is "coffee". "There are now almost five times more generic top-level domains than there were only a few months ago and that translates to greater consumer choice," said Akram Atallah, president of ICANN's global domains division. Many who work in or report about web development have been skeptical about how quickly these new domain names will be registered. Some businesses worry about needing to fend off new vectors for brand critics to exploit. A new wave of cyber-squatting may not be far off. However, registrations of names in the *.coffee namespace spiked early and have since leveled off. As of early June, there were approximately 5,000 registrations. Learn more: http://newgtlds.icann.org/en Burundi Micro-bank for Smallholders? Chairman of the Confederation of Coffee Producers Associations (CNAC), Joseph Ntirabampa, spoke with a Reuters reporter about why CNAC is trying to open its own bank. According to that article, their efforts are the result of many years of frustrations in trying to work with local commercial banks. Supplies are sorely needed in an area in which 2013/14 production volume was less than half the size of the preceding year. Better rainfall will help, according to recent projections by Autorité de Régulation de la Filière du Café. However, access to credit will help smallholders even more allowing them to purchase agricultural items such as fertilizers. Ntirabampa told Reuters, "The central bank requires between 200 million and 300 million francs to open a micro-financial institution. We have now 600 million francs in cash, the next step is to ask for registration." He expects the bank to open in the next few months. Learn more: www.intercafeburundi.org China Starbucks Youth Commitment Howard Schultz, chief executive officer of Starbucks, announced a $3 million investment in China, including $1.5 million to the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF).The commitment will be administered by Give2Asia, a social enterprise dedicated to building a civil society across Asia. "We are pleased to expand our partnership with the Starbucks Foundation to continue to foster young leaders in China who have demonstrated a passion and commitment to serving the society around them," said Jing Dunquan, vice-chairman, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. Since 2006, the Starbucks Foundation and China Soong Ching Ling Foundation have partnered to address relevant needs across China, providing 3,000 rural teachers with innovative teaching methods and supporting more than 900 environmental conservation projects by university students. Starbucks operates more than 1,200 stores across 68 cities in China which is on track to become the company's largest market outside of the U.S. by the end of 2014. Ethical Corporation hosts 5th Respon- sible Business Awards in London. Akram Atallah, president of ICANN's generic domains division Technical advisor (right) collaborates with growers to maintain coffee nursery Starbucks renews 8-year partnership with China Soong Ching Ling Foundation Colombia Coffee Science Conference Colombia will host the 25th International Conference on Coffee Science (ASIC 2014) From Sept. 8-13, 2014. This international event, held at the Cultural Metropolitan Convention Center in Armenia, Department of Quindío, focuses on science, innovation and their impact on knowledge and sustainability of the coffee industry as a whole. Photos by Federation SHIRAMAZINDA