Starbucks Coffee Company and the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) have announced an expansion of their program to support Colombian coffee growers in the Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices network, that will see an extra 22 million trees planted in the country.
In 2020, through an agreement, Starbucks provided the FNC with a USD $3 million investment to support a new coffee crop renovation program, with the goal of distributing 23 million coffee seedlings by 2023.
Within the first year of the program, more than 7 million coffee seedlings were distributed to Colombian farmers.
Following this success, the 2022 project expansion now includes an additional USD $4.2 million grant for the extra trees and will also support farmers with fertilisers during the early growth stage for every renovated tree.
This program builds on a ten-year partnership between Starbucks and the FNC and aims to help more than 12,000 farmers who participate in the C.A.F.E. Practices program under which Starbucks sources its coffee globally.
“In service of Starbucks’ aspiration to ensure a sustainable future of coffee for all, we are pleased to strengthen our partnership with Colombian Coffee Growers Federation and increase our support of local coffee farmers through the expansion of this important tree renovation program,” says Tim Scharrer, Managing Director and Vice President of Starbucks coffee and cocoa.
Working hand-in-hand with farmers in the field, the local Starbucks Farmer Support Center and the FNC, through its technical division and its office in Europe, will continue to oversee the project, which includes technical assistance, such as virtual training and field visits to farmers for planting of the seedlings, as well as recommendations for renovation of coffee plantations and verification of the trees established for the fertilization incentive.
“These programs confirm the great commitment of Starbucks to Colombian coffee growers’ well-being, coffee farming quality and sustainability, and environmental protection. Starbucks is a strategic partner of Colombian coffee and the FNC,” says Roberto Vélez, FNC CEO.
“As we expand our footprint across Colombia and continue to bring the Starbucks Experience to more customers, we are tremendously proud of the Colombian arabica coffee served in our cafés,” says Francisco Tosso, Director of Starbucks Colombia.
For more information, visit the Starbucks or FNC website.