Looking for Answers to Rising Coffee Prices.doc

Looking for Answers to Rising Coffee Prices
By Mario Ritter
2011-2-10

A cup of coffee at the M.E. Swing Coffee Company shop in Washington DC
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
Food prices are at their highest level since the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization began keeping records in nineteen ninety. The causes include bad weather and growing demand. Some experts also blame the use of food crops to make fuel.
But higher food prices are not always the result of limited supplies.
Coffee prices have jumped almost fifty percent in six months. Prices have reached a thirteen-year high. JM Smucker is an American company known for its jellies jelly['dʒeli:]n.果冻be/feel like jelly
(双腿或双膝)(由于紧张或恐惧而)感到软弱，全身发软
名词 n.1.果冻,果酱 We had toast and jelly at breakfast.我们早餐吃的是烤面包和果酱。2.(双腿或双膝)(由于紧张或恐惧而)感到软弱，全身发软 She couldn’t move—her head was swimming, her mouth was dry and her legs felt like jelly.她一动也动不了─头晕晕的，嘴干干的，腿软得像棉花。3. 胶状物，胶凝物（尤指护肤霜）4.（海滩和海上穿的）轻便塑料鞋 and fruit spreads. But Smucker also owns Folgers, America's top-selling packaged coffee. And it owns Dunkin' dunk [dʌŋk]vt.将(食物)浸入液体；将(某人或某物)在水中浸一下Donuts, donut ['dəu,nʌt]n.油炸圈饼;圆环图which sells coffee to wash down the doughnuts at its stores.
On Tuesday, Smucker said it would raise the prices of its coffee products by an average of ten percent. It said the increase is driven by the higher prices for coffee beans.
Experts say coffee prices are rising mainly because people are willing to pay more. Coffee sellers like Mark Warmuth say tastes are changing and more people want a good cup of coffee.
MARK WARMUTH: "There's no right or wrong answer with regard to ‘What's a good cup of coffee?' A lot of it has to do with personal preference or taste."
Mark Warmuth owns the M.E. Swing swing [swiŋ]vt. & vi.(使)摇摆, (使)摇荡；(使)旋转；(使)突然转向n.摆动, 摇摆；秋千；显著的变化Coffee Company in Alexandria, Virginia, Virginia [və(:)'dʒinjə]n.维吉尼亚 near Washington. He says big coffee sellers like Starbucks help his business by building a base of customers who want something better.
MARK WARMUTH: "They're seeking something that would be better than what they can buy at Starbucks. They're seeking out smaller, boutique boutique [bu:'ti:k]n.时装用品小商店；流行女装商店；精品店, artisan, artisan ['ɑ:tɪzən, -sən]n.技工；工匠 craft craft [krɑ:ft]n.工艺, 手艺；行业, 职业；诡计, 手腕；小船, 船；飞机, 飞船coffee roastersroaster ['rəustə]n.炙烤者,烘烤器, which I consider us to be, a boutique coffee roasting company. What we can do is source名词 n.1.河流的源头, 发源地 Where is the source of the Nile?尼罗河发源于何处?2.来源, 出处3.原因 This faulty connection is the source of the engine trouble.这种错误的连接法是引擎出毛病的原因。4.提供资料者, 资料来源 I've heard from a reliable source that company is running very badly.我已从一位可靠人士那儿获悉, 这家公司经营得非常糟糕。5.起源；根源；原因 6.消息(或证据等)的提供者7.发起者；创造者，创始者8.原型，模型9.【电子学】源极；信号源；电源10.【物理学】源
及物动词 vt.1.（从…）获得2.发起，引起；向…提供消息
The statement was sourced to the Secretary of State.那个声明已提供给了(美国)国务卿。3.寻求(尤指供货)的来源 Some of the components are now sourced in Hongkong.现在有些组件是由香港提供的。
不及物动词 vi.1.发源，起源；寻求来源2.寻求生产商(或提供商) Many large companies are now sourcing overseas.现在很多大公司都向海外寻求制造商了。 better quality beans and supply them at a fresher level because we're smaller and we can cater to cater ['keitə]vt. & vi.提供饮食及服务 the smaller metrometro ['metrəu]n.，adj.大都市(的)；大都市市政府(的) area. That helps us compete with bigger companies."
Yet Mr. Warmuth can thank those bigger companies like Starbucks for spreading the idea of coffee as an affordable luxury. The thinking goes that during hard times, people might not go on a trip but they might be willing to pay extra for good coffee.
The company supplies restaurants and other businesses, but also has a store in Washington near the White House. Customers pay thirteen dollars for less than half a kilogram of beans -- about double the price of other brands.
Greater demand for high-quality coffee has helped drive coffee prices higher. That includes greater demand among Brazilians Brazilian [brə'ziliən]n.巴西人adj.巴西的. Brazil is the world's largest exporter of coffee.
People in India are also drinking more coffee. Starbucks just announced plans to enter that market in a deal with India's Tata Coffee company.
And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.