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Conservation International has worked with Starbucks Coffee Company for more than 14 years to promote coffee production practices that conserve biodiversity, maintain healthy ecosystems and support economic and social development in coffee production landscapes as embodied in the company’s commitment to ethical sourcing.
As part of this commitment, Starbucks recognizes that long term business success is linked to the success of the millions of farmers who grow and supply coffee to the company.
Together with Starbucks, CI is working on the ground with coffee farmers to promote environmentally and socially sound growing practices through the C.A.F.E. Practices program, create new income streams from conservation and carbon markets and provide loans for sustainable enterprise development.
NEW: Starbucks Ethical Coffee Sourcing and Farmer Support
Our work together extends far beyond the coffee shop to the rich landscapes that surround and nurture the most important coffee-growing regions in the world. As far back as 1998, we saw Starbucks as a natural partner to our work because of our shared geographies: most of the world's key coffee-growing regions are the same areas where biological diversity is richest and most threatened — places we call the biodiversity hotspots.
LEARN MORE: Starbucks Goals & Progress
Explore our three core programs below to learn more about how CI and Starbucks are working together to support the people and rich ecosystems of coffee growing regions.
Core programs
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Ethical Coffee Sourcing Practices
CI and Starbucks joined forces to develop buying guidelines that address Starbucks principles for ethical sourcing. C.A.F.E. Practices guidelines help farmers grow coffee in a way that's better for both people and the planet. Through ongoing monitoring and evaluation of our joint initiatives with Starbucks we are able to measure program performance, identify new challenges and opportunities, and determine how best to expand our support for global coffee growing communities.
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Carbon Markets
The newest phase of our partnership supports coffee farmers in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Through forest conservation and habitat restoration efforts, CI is helping coffee communities to gain access to emerging forest carbon markets.
Starbucks and CI are now investing in and supporting these communities who engage in climate-friendly activities to promote mutually beneficial forest conservation and the sequestration of carbon. DOWNLOAD: Coffee + Carbon (PDF - 334 KB) |
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Farmer Loans
Starbucks is a key supporter of CI's Verde Ventures fund, which provides loans to businesses that can play a critical role in conserving biodiversity, such as coffee farms with sustainable growing practices.
Verde Ventures builds sustainable green economies by investing in small and medium sized businesses that are strategically placed to contribute to conserving Earth's biologically richest and most threatened areas. Through Verde Ventures, Starbucks provides loan capital earmarked for coffee farmers, including those who are participating in the C.A.F.E. Practices program. To date, the program has helped over 30 coffee enterprises in 5 countries — affecting over 14,000 farmers and their families and has directly conserved nearly 19,500 hectares (almost 46,960 acres) of land. Read more » |