During the last two decades major changes have been taking place in worldwide coffee production. The most significant of these changes has been the massive increase in the quantities produced. ICO statistics show consistently increasing production levels particularly over the last 15 years reaching a record level of 120 million GO kg bags in 2002. Over the same period there has been a significant decrease in the average price paid for coffee on world markets which fell to USD cents 47 per pound in 2002 compared to 120 cents in the 1980s. The basic cause of the decline in coffee prices has been one of oversupply with the increase in coffee production in recent years outstripping demand by several percentage points. There has been a steady accumulation of large stocks of coffee, particularly in importing countries, which have put additional downward pressure on coffee prices. Thus in recent times many coffee producing countries have seen a catastrophic decline in export earnings despite increasing production, and the incomes of many coffee farmers have been reduced to the point at which they are struggling to survive. The impact on the finances of millions of small farmers in lesser developed countries has reached crisis proportions.