Starbucks has established a Farmer Support Partnership (FSP) in India, where it will collaborate with Tata Starbucks to “empower 10,000 farmers by 2030” in some of the nation’s key coffee-growing regions.
The FSP will set up technical ‘model farms’ in partnership with farmers, incorporating global learnings to embed best practice is coffee agronomy. It will also serve as a foundation for testing new varietals, provide knowledge on farming techniques that could work with Indian practices and conditions, and share insights about other agroforestry initiatives.
Based in Karnataka, it will combine Tata Starbucks’ knowledge of the Indian coffee climate and its coffee-growing heritage with Starbucks’ international scope.
Tata Starbucks was initially established in 2012 as a joint venture between Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Consumer Products.
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol visited India as part of the announcement. He says the acceleration of large-scale coffee farming in India has seen it establish itself as a key market on the world stage.
“India is one of our fastest-growing markets. We’re partnering with Tata to shape the future of coffee in India, including supporting farmers, empowering communities, and delivering the highest quality offerings to our customers,” says Niccol.
“It’s a long-term commitment to build a stronger, more sustainable coffee ecosystem that benefits everyone, from bean to cup.”
The FSP will partner with Farmer Support Centres (FSCs) in the APAC region, which includes locations in North Sumatra (Indonesia), Yunnan (China), and Hacienda Alsacia (Costa Rica).
Starbucks says it will develop projects that align with the brand’s pillars of unlocking coffee productivity, increasing farm profitability, and building climate resiliency over the next five years.
Tata Starbucks will also donate one million high-yield Arabica seedlings to farmers over the next five years to accelerate the strengthening of India’s coffee value chain.
Managing Director and CEO and Tata Consumer Products, Sunil D’Souza, says the establishment of the FSP is the next step in a successful partnership between Tata and Starbucks.
“Through the past decade, together, Tata Consumer Products and Starbucks have helped shape India’s thriving coffee culture and industry,” says D’Souza.
“With this new initiative, we are pleased to pair Starbucks’ global agronomy experience with Tata’s footprint in India to drive tangible impact and pace the way for the future of responsible coffee farming in India.”
Tata Starbucks is also set to open its 500th coffeehouse in India, and it will be the second location to offer a Starbucks Reserve coffee experience in Delhi NCR.
CEO of Tata Starbucks Sushant Dash has labelled the FSP initiative being launched alongside India’s 500th Starbucks location as a critical indication of the strengthening of the entire Indian coffee value chain.
“As the largest specialty coffee player in India, we are proud to bring the Farmer Support Partnership in collaboration with Starbucks, a meaningful step towards strengthening India’s coffee-growing community and securing the future of high-quality Arabica,” says Dash.
“Our commitment to India extends beyond growth, to investing in farmers, partners (employees), and customers to continue building a vibrant coffee culture.
“We will continue to serve the finest Arabica coffee from India and around the world.”
