Starbucks Coffee Company opened its first Farmer Support Center in Brazil, making it the tenth globally. These Farmer Support Centers worldwide not only strengthen the company’s presence in key coffee-producing regions but also improve the livelihoods of the locals by addressing challenges of the region as well as providing necessary training.
Through worldwide Farmer Support Centers, Starbucks provides farmers with open-source agronomy and training on ethical sourcing. The company says their efforts have resulted in huge successes based on the previous nine established Farmer Support Centers, and in fact, we have heard positive results independently from the organisation. Over 200,000 farmers have been trained through the program since 2004, and they are not all Starbucks suppliers.
Additionally, the company works with local producers, suppliers and agencies to better understand the environmental and social issues the regions face, which allows them to come up with long-term solutions that can benefit farmers.
The newest Farmer Support Center in Varginha, Minas Gerais, will offer valuable resources to local coffee communities in support of creating a better future for the people and the planet. Alfredo Nuno, director Global Farmer Support Centers and Hacienda Alsacia at Starbucks stated:
The opening of the Starbucks Brazil Farmer Support Center represents an important milestone in Starbucks continued investments in coffee-growing communities.
As we aspire to ensure a sustainable future of coffee for all, we believe the knowledge we gather through the relationships built by this Farmer Support Center will play a significant role in our efforts to elevate the coffee-growing supply chain in Brazil and around the world.
The training is not limited to agriculture but includes safety best practices and complex labour and environmental regulations. On top of that, the centre will provide training on Starbucks’ ethical sourcing verification program called C.A.F.E Practices. Lucio Dias, Director of Guaxupé Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative, stated:
Starbucks physical presence through the new Brazil Farmer Support Center will enable more direct, timely and in the field conversations with the many farmers in our cooperative. We are looking forward to strengthening our relationship with Starbucks and working together to advance our mutual goal of producing high-quality coffee that adheres to both C.A.F.E. Practices and local rules and regulations in a sustainable way.
Starbucks Sustainability Coordinators working at the Farmer Support Center will implement projects, workshops and training that are relevant to the needs of coffee growers in order to promote transparent, profitable and sustainable coffee growing practices.
