Reaffirming Starbucks dedication to ethically sourced coffee 

Our pledge to farming communities through C.A.F.E. Practices 

Starbucks has a long-standing commitment to ethical sourcing and the well-being of coffee farmers and workers. A recent complaint concerning coffee sourcing from Brazil’s coffee cooperatives calls that commitment into question – a matter you can imagine we don’t take lightly.  

For me, and I’m sure for many partners, this feels personal. And it is. Because we continually strive for our ethical sourcing program to be best-in-class. And because the tradition of great coffee is what has set us apart for more than 50 years. Our commitment to build a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future for coffee is unwavering. 

The claims asserted in the complaint about Starbucks are without merit, and we plan to vigorously defend our company. More specifically, the reporting mischaracterizes and misunderstands Starbucks coffee supply chain.  

Here is what you need to know  

• At Starbucks, we have visibility into our coffee supply chain, which means we know which farms around the world supply the coffee we love. In this case, we know we purchase coffee from only a small fraction of the more than 19,000 coffee farms that are members of the cooperative referenced in the complaint. That is because only a small fraction of those farms are Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices verified, and we only buy from farms that have this verification.  

• Over time, and with intention, we have audited farms, assessed outcomes, and continuously enhanced our auditing standards and practices to be among the toughest in 
  the industry. 

• C.A.F.E. Practices is a verification program, not a one-time certification system. When Starbucks is notified of alleged violations of our ethical sourcing standards, we take immediate and appropriate action, which may include terminating our relationship with that supplier. 

We will continue to maintain our commitments in regions where we source coffee across the globe – even when it’s hard – because it is the right thing to do. 

Read more about our approach to ethically sourcing coffee here.

Michelle Burns
evp, global coffee & sustainability