How Do You Like Your (Sustainable) Coffee?

Coffee rust, a fungus that attacks trees, makes it nearly impossible for Latin America farmers to produce high-quality coffee.

In just one year, Starbucks has donated enough funds to plant 18 million rust-resistant coffee trees, 10 million of which have already been distributed this past summer to farmers in need.*

To help reach its goal of 20 million trees by year end, Starbucks will donate a coffee tree on behalf of each customer who purchases a brewed Mexico Chiapas coffee in a participating U.S. and Mexico stores on National Coffee Day.

“I have seen firsthand the devastation coffee rust has had on farmers. The initial distribution of these coffee trees has already had a positive impact with potential to help farmers and their families for years to come,” said Craig Russell, executive vice president, Starbucks Global Coffee.

With Starbucks Help, 'We can support our families'

“We are very thankful to those people who can purchase a pound or two of Starbucks coffee; they are contributing to the production of coffee in Chiapas,” said coffee farmer Rolando Javier Lopez Angel. “In this way, we can support our families.”

Starbucks began its One Tree for Every Bag commitment to help farmers like Rolando, a third-generation Chiapas coffee farmer, by leveraging its supply chain and collaborating with organizations like Conservation International to create impact, at scale.

“We have an ambitious goal of planting 20 million trees and celebrating Chiapas coffee, the birthplace of our ethical sourcing program over a decade ago. This is the perfect way to have our customers and the coffee community become part of the solution on National Coffee Day,” said Russell.

Impact to Date
Starbucks has donated enough funds to plant 18 million rust-resistant coffee trees in just one year

This summer, with the help of Starbucks supplier ECOM Agroindustrial Corp., the first phase of distribution began when 10 million healthy coffee trees were distributed to farmers in need across El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico  

More than 6,200 farming families received new coffee trees helping to rehabilitate more than 2,500 hectares of farmland

Nearly 800 jobs were created to support the initial distribution of these coffee trees

Each healthy coffee tree will grow enough green coffee to roast and package one pound of finished coffee

“We believe that a sustainable coffee future for Mexico is a commitment to Mexican farmers. The combination of Starbucks’One Tree for Every Bag program, along with our Integrate Plan for the Care of Coffee will expand our ability to build a resistant coffee production and ensure a better future for Mexican smallholder coffee farmers,” according to SAGARPA, Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Rural Development and Food. 

Investing in Mexico
Mexico has been a key coffee sourcing region for Starbucks for more than 20 years. Starbucks opened its first store in Mexico City in partnership with Alsea in 2002 and has since grown to more than 500 stores with 7,000 partners wearing the green apron.

“Mexico is an important part of the heritage and future of Starbucks, and we are proud to invest in these partnerships with Mexico that support young people and help those farming communities in need,” said John Kelly, senior vice president, Starbucks Global Responsibility, Community and Public Policy.

Chiapas, Mexico is where Starbucks ethical sourcing standards, Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices, originated. Developed with Conservation International over 12 years ago, the program has benefited more than a million farmers and workers on four continents, and the standards are implemented and supported by Starbucks seven Farmer Support Centers around the world. Part of a comprehensive approach to ethical sourcing, these centers provide critical, on-the-ground agronomy services. The company will open its eighth location in San Cristobal in Chiapas next year.

The One Tree for Every Bag program in the U.S. was inspired by the success of Todos Sembramos Café (“We All Grow Coffee”), a similar initiative launched by Starbucks Mexico in 2014. Todos Sembramos Café has since helped to rehabilitate more than 350 hectares to successfully distribute over a half a million coffee trees, benefitting over 350 coffee farmers and more than 70,000 family members in Chiapas.

In partnership with Conservation International, Starbucks has granted $2 million dollars over the next four years to support coffee communities in Oaxaca State, the fourth largest coffee producing state in Mexico, and also the second poorest with more than 76% of residents living in extreme poverty. This investment will work to help improve income and livelihood stabilization, food security and water quality for coffee farming communities in the region, helping to increase coffee productivity and quality for the industry.

As part of Starbucks global commitments to connect underserved youth to the workforce, The Starbucks Foundation granted more than $125,000 to support skill-based training, education and civic opportunities in Mexico. In addition, this past year, Starbucks Mexico has led 100 community service projects, volunteering more than 13,000 hours and impacting more than 15,000 youth.

Starbucks One Tree for Every Bag Commitment
*Starbucks has committed to planting a coffee tree for every bag of coffee purchased in participating U.S. stores through September 2016. Starbucks contributes 70 cents, the average cost of a tree, to Conservation International for every bag of coffee sold from participating stores in the United States. Starbucks works with Sustainable Management Services in the export and delivery of green coffee, and to germinate the seedlings and distribute the trees.

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