Thursday, October 6, 2005; 7:07 PM
The Collegiate Times has recently published two opinion pieces containing information about Starbucks that misrepresents our corporate social responsibility efforts in local and coffee growing communities.
Contrary to the column ?Local coffee should take precedence over Starbucks? (CT, Sept. 14), we pay premium prices to coffee farmers so they can make a profit and support their families. In 2004, this meant that Starbucks paid on average $1.20 per pound for its high-quality coffee beans ? approximately double the commodity market?s price during the year.
Beyond paying premium prices, Starbucks also provides coffee farmers access to affordable credit, invests in social projects in coffee communities and provides technical assistance and agricultural expertise through the Starbucks Farmer Support Center in Costa Rica. In addition, Starbucks has developed a set of socially responsible coffee buying guidelines called C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices, designed to protect the environment, help ensure fair prices, wages and workers? rights and promote social development in coffee communities.
Locally, we believe that our presence has benefited other coffee retailers by increasing foot traffic and raising consumer awareness of specialty coffee. As Starbucks has opened stores, a growing number of independent coffeehouses have also sprung up across the United States. As a result, consumers benefit as they are offered more choices, new jobs are created and neighborhoods are enriched with the addition of local gathering places.
Starbucks has achieved success one cup at a time, one store at a time. We started as a small business in Seattle?s Pike Place market more than 30 years ago. Since then, each one of our stores has become a unique part of its neighborhood. We firmly believe that there is room for choice in every community and that our customers and partners at each location give the store its own personality and atmosphere.
Starbucks is proud to be a part of the Blacksburg community and we welcome the opportunity to continue to serve the university and its community.
Contrary to the column ?Local coffee should take precedence over Starbucks? (CT, Sept. 14), we pay premium prices to coffee farmers so they can make a profit and support their families. In 2004, this meant that Starbucks paid on average $1.20 per pound for its high-quality coffee beans ? approximately double the commodity market?s price during the year.
Beyond paying premium prices, Starbucks also provides coffee farmers access to affordable credit, invests in social projects in coffee communities and provides technical assistance and agricultural expertise through the Starbucks Farmer Support Center in Costa Rica. In addition, Starbucks has developed a set of socially responsible coffee buying guidelines called C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices, designed to protect the environment, help ensure fair prices, wages and workers? rights and promote social development in coffee communities.
Locally, we believe that our presence has benefited other coffee retailers by increasing foot traffic and raising consumer awareness of specialty coffee. As Starbucks has opened stores, a growing number of independent coffeehouses have also sprung up across the United States. As a result, consumers benefit as they are offered more choices, new jobs are created and neighborhoods are enriched with the addition of local gathering places.
Starbucks has achieved success one cup at a time, one store at a time. We started as a small business in Seattle?s Pike Place market more than 30 years ago. Since then, each one of our stores has become a unique part of its neighborhood. We firmly believe that there is room for choice in every community and that our customers and partners at each location give the store its own personality and atmosphere.
Starbucks is proud to be a part of the Blacksburg community and we welcome the opportunity to continue to serve the university and its community.
