Starbucks pledges rust-resistant trees to farmers

Starbucks is celebrating US National Coffee Day on 29 September by significantly expanding its One Tree for Every Bag program to provide more rust resistant trees to farmers across Central America. The world’ largest coffee retailer has pledged to donate one tree for every cup of Mexico Chiapas coffee sold at more than 13,500 stores across the US and Mexico on National Coffee Day. This initiative will build upon Starbucks’ existing One Tree For Every Bag program, which has matched the sale of every bag of Starbucks coffee with the planting of a rust-resistant coffee tree. So far the program has raised enough funds to plant 18 million trees in the past 18 months. These coffee trees are distributed to farmers who have been most impacted by coffee rust, a plant fungus that damages coffee trees making it harder for them to produce high-quality coffee for the entire industry. Earlier this year Starbucks began distributing the first rust-resistant coffee trees in collaboration with one of its suppliers, ECOM and Conservation International. The company has a goal of planting a total of 20 million trees. “I have seen firsthand the devastation coffee rust has had on farmers. The initial distribution of these coffee trees has already had a positive impact with potential to help farmers and their families for years to come,” said Craig Russell, Executive Vice President of Starbucks Global Coffee. “We have an ambitious goal of planting 20 million trees and celebrating Chiapas coffee, the birthplace of our ethical sourcing program over a decade ago. This is the perfect way to have our customers and the coffee community become part of the solution on National Coffee Day,” said Russell. This event will take place ahead of International Coffee Day, which will take place on Saturday 1 October. The International Coffee Organization has compiled a catalogue of events taking place to mark the day around the world, which can be found here.