Starbucks and the National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC) of Colombia announced a new program to support Colombian coffee growers who are part of the C.A.F.É program network. Starbucks Practices, through the donation and distribution of 23 million coffee seedlings.

This initiative is built on the ten-year alliance between Starbucks and the FNC and aims to help coffee producers improve both the quality and profitability of their crops through renewal by planting, where Starbucks will contribute up to 3 million dollars, positively impacting thousands of coffee families in Colombia.

Working hand in hand with coffee farmers in the field, the Starbucks Producer Support Center (FSC) in Colombia and representatives of the Federation will oversee the project, which includes technical assistance, such as virtual training and field visits to coffee growers to plant the coffee trees, as well as recommendations for the renovation of their plantations. More than 12 thousand Colombian coffee growers from 11 departments of the country will benefit from this project.

The allocation of the first batch of coffee seedlings will take place in early 2021 and will continue until the end of 2022 as part of the agreement signed between Starbucks and the FNC.

At Starbucks, as we aspire to ensure a sustainable coffee future for all, we are dedicated to helping our coffee growers improve their quality of life, working shoulder to shoulder to address the most pressing challenges they face, while protecting the environment, ”said Michelle Burns, senior global vice president of coffee, tea and cocoa at Starbucks. “This coffee plantation renovation project is a key pillar in the long-term prosperity of coffee growers, as replacing decaying or aging trees will help increase their productivity, quality and yield, thus increasing their income potential. It also promotes environmental sustainability, ensuring that coffee producers better optimize their existing land rather than having to relocate their farms and encroach on forests. "

Our goal is to distribute these coffee seedlings to coffee growers who are part of the Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices in Antioquia, Caldas, Cauca, Huila, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Santander, Quindío, Risaralda, Tolima and Valle del Cauca. Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices is a verification program created in 2004 that evaluates coffee farms following economic, social and environmental criteria designed to promote transparent, profitable and sustainable coffee growing practices, while protecting the well-being of coffee growers, workers, their families and their communities.

“Renovation is essential for the productivity of Colombian coffee farms, since it contributes positively to their profitability. This joint project with Starbucks will benefit more than 12 thousand producers in 11 departments of Colombia thanks to the delivery of 23 million seedlings for the renewal of coffee plantations, an important initiative that consolidates Starbucks as a strategic partner of coffee growers and the Federation Nacional de Cafeteros ”, said Roberto Vélez Vallejo, general manager of the FNC.

As part of nearly five decades of sourcing, roasting, and serving Colombian coffee around the world, Starbucks has been working with Colombian coffee producers to support their well-being, their families, and their communities, while ensuring the sustainable supply of coffee. high quality. In 2012, the company inaugurated its fifth Producer Support Center (FSC) worldwide, located in Manizales. To date, more than 110,000 Colombian coffee growers have benefited from FSC's work in Manizales through training, tools and shared information to help them increase the productivity and quality of coffee on their farms.

“We know that our partners (employees) and Starbucks customers care where their coffee comes from," said Ricardo Rico, vice president and general manager of Starbucks, Latin America and the Caribbean. "As Colombia is such a coffee sourcing region Importantly, it is these types of Alliances and initiatives that are contributing to long-term prosperity for both people and the planet, and helping to continue to build pride and loyalty for a brand like Starbucks. "

Whether looking to encourage the development of new coffee farms, helping coffee growers become more profitable, or reducing coffee's impact on the environment, Starbucks will continue to use its scale to do good while working together with other organizations to secure a future. sustainable coffee for all.

Since 1971, Starbucks has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality Arabica coffee. Today, with more than 32,000 stores around the world, the company is the world's leading specialty coffee roaster and retailer. Through his unwavering commitment to excellence and his guiding principles, he brings the Starbucks Experience to every customer through every cup of coffee.

In 1927, Colombian coffee growers came together to create an organization that would represent them nationally and internationally and that would ensure their well-being and the improvement of their quality of life. Today, the National Federation of Coffee Growers represents more than 540,000 coffee growers, providing them with public goods and services, such as technical assistance, research and development, that help improve the quality of coffee and the living conditions of producers.