Starbucks Distributes One Million Coffee Trees to Farmers; Will Plant Another Tree for Every Bag of Coffee Purchased Through ...
September 28 2015 - 6:00AM
Business Wire
One Million Trees Helping Farmers in Coffee
Growing Regions Most Impacted By Coffee Rust
Launches Starbucks One Tree for Every Bag
Commitment on National Coffee Day
Efforts Support Specialty Coffee Industry and
are Part of Starbucks Comprehensive Approach to Achieving 100%
Ethically Sourced Coffee
Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq:SBUX) today expanded its
commitment to supporting the specialty coffee industry by
addressing one of the most significant threats to coffee farmers.
Beginning tomorrow, Starbucks will distribute coffee trees to
farmers who have been most impacted by coffee rust, a plant fungus
that damages millions of coffee trees around the world, making it
harder for farmers to produce high-quality coffee for the entire
industry. Through September 2016, Starbucks will ensure that a
coffee tree is planted for every bag of coffee purchased in a
participating U.S. store.
“Purchasing from more than thirty countries, Starbucks scale
affords us the opportunity to bring customers the most unique, high
quality coffee from around the world. It also gives us the
responsibility to make sure we invest in tangible ways that help to
ensure farmer livelihoods and the stability of the entire supply
for the industry,” said Craig Russell, executive vice president,
Global Coffee for Starbucks. “We have heard directly from farmers
that helping them get new rust resistant trees will make the most
impact. We are figuring out the way to do that while offering our
customers an opportunity to get involved.”
Beginning in Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador, Starbucks will
work with Sustainable Management Services (SMS), Starbucks partner
in the export and delivery of green coffee, to successfully
germinate the seedlings and distribute the trees. The distribution
of each coffee tree will be supported by Starbucks Coffee and
Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices, developed over a decade ago
with Conservation International to safeguard responsible purchasing
practices and economic, social and environmental standards,
globally. These sourcing standards are then augmented by Starbucks
Farmer Support Centers that provide on-the-ground agronomy
services. Today, Starbucks has six farmer support locations around
the world and will add two more – one in Sumatra, Indonesia in 2015
and another in Mexico opening in 2016.
Starbucks Mexico implemented a similar coffee tree
revitalization program just last year called Todos Sembramos Café
(We All Grow Coffee), distributing over 180,000 rust resistant
plants to more than 60 coffee farms in Chiapas and helping to
provide resources and training to improve the quality of their
crops and maintain the stability of their lands. An additional
360,000 coffee trees will be donated in the program’s second year,
totaling over a half a million trees.
“The rust was destroying our yields, cutting production by 40-60
percent,” said Martiniano Moreno, coffee farmer from Chiapas
supporting a family of eight. “It was very difficult to watch. Our
entire community relies on coffee. It's who we are. It’s how we
take care of our families; our children.”
To date, Starbucks has invested more than $70 million in its
comprehensive approach to ethical sourcing; supporting coffee
farming communities, helping to mitigate the impact of climate
change, and supporting long-term crop stability and farm
sustainability. Through these initiatives and Starbucks
comprehensive approach to sourcing high quality coffee, farmers
will have the support they need to manage climate variables and
improve the infrastructure of their crops, influencing coffee
quality, sustainability and overall profitability for the entire
specialty coffee industry.
There's more to coffee than what's sitting in your cup. That's
why Starbucks is launching 1912 Pike, a blog dedicated to
connecting with customers and sharing useful information about all
things coffee — where and how it's grown, how it's best enjoyed,
what it means to our planet and more. For more information and
media assets, please visit https://news.starbucks.com/.
About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to
ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality Arabica coffee. Today,
with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster
and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our
unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we
bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer
through every cup.
About One Tree for Every Bag
Commitment
Starbucks will contribute $.70, the average cost of a tree, to
Conservation International for every bag of coffee sold from
participating stores in the U.S. to foster thriving coffee
communities. To learn more, visit conservation.org.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150928005455/en/
Starbucks Coffee CompanyHaley Drage,
206-318-7100press@starbucks.com
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