Goals & Progress: Farmer Support

We made nearly $14.7 million in loan commitments to our current loan partners in 2011 while exploring innovative and new opportunities.

Commitment is being defined as being made either by public declaration of intent or signed contract
*2010 commitment reflects reinvestment of interest income

Providing access to credit at reasonable terms is a critical aspect of our farmer support model. Our goal is to invest in farmers and their communities by increasing farmer loans to $20 million by 2015. In 2011 our loan commitments to Root Capital, Verde Ventures and the Calvert Foundation reached a total of $14.7 million.

In 2011 alone, this support helped more than 45,000 farmers growing coffee in seven countries. By investing in programs that provide access to credit, we’re helping farmers manage risk and strengthen their businesses. Looking forward, we are exploring innovative partnerships to help us better leverage the loans in concert with our technical support, social development investments and coffee purchases

Farmer Support Centers

In addition to our purchasing standards, Starbucks offers technical support to coffee producers through our farmer support centers. These centers allow Starbucks agronomists and quality experts to collaborate directly with coffee farmers to encourage responsible growing practices and improve the quality and size of their harvests. Ultimately, these efforts can help farmers earn better prices and become more resilient, long-term producers.

We opened our first farmer support center in San José, Costa Rica, in 2004, serving communities throughout Central America. Our East Africa Farmer Support Center opened in 2009 in Kigali, Rwanda, and in 2011 we expanded our East African outreach with an additional agronomy office in Mbeya, Tanzania. In 2012 we plan to open more farmer support centers, including our first center in Asia in the Yunnan province of China.