Anyone for coffeet coffee, often known as"black gold." is the world's top selling product after oil It is grown in 60 countries and is worth round s billion per year. However, while affluent consumers pay several dollars for a cup of coffee helping international companies to make millions in profit the coffee farmers themselves enjoy few benefits. An average coffee farmer receives less than three U S. cents for a $3 cup of coffee Because they are forced to sell at the lowest possible price, they remain stuck in poverty, sometimes even having to sell their crop at well below the cost of production. When market prices hit a 30-year low in 2001 the nightmare for coffee farmers got even worse. Due to the slump in price, many farmers went bankrupt. and whole families became unemployed and abandoned their fields to move to cities.