Starbucks has developed a set of guidelines called CAFE Practices to follow ethical sourcing. It adheres to these ethical codes while procuring coffee directly from coffee farms in Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Brazil, Columbia, Guatemala, Tanzania, Kenya, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. It gets its syrups and tea from Nestle, and milk products from Dean Foods. Read on to find out more details about Starbucks’ suppliers and its procurement policy.
Starbucks’ Ethical Sourcing Policy
Over the years, It has developed guidelines, called CAFE (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices that cover the requirements of the company as well as the well-being of the workers and the environment as a whole. For example, Starbucks makes sure the coffee it procures is not grown by employing child labor or in inhumane working conditions. It also takes care whether the minimum wage requirements are met and the rights of the workers are protected or not. At the same time, their sources only high-quality coffee and ensures complete transparency regarding the payment the farmers receive in return for the coffee procured by it. It also concerns itself with environmental issues by putting in place some measures to protect water quality, preserve biodiversity, conserve water, and manage waste.
Starbucks’ sources for its various products:
South America: Brazil and Columbia, Central America: Costa Rica, Guatemala, and MexicoAfrica: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and TanzaniaAsia: Indonesia, China, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, India, Timor, and Vietnam and also from Saudi Arabia.
Fun Fact!
Did you know? The founders of Starbucks seem to have named it after Starbuck, a character from Herman Melville’s classic Moby Dick. Although they brushed it off, saying it was only coincidental, it is very likely to have evoked the romance of the open seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders. Although many have felt that Starbucks might be using Torani, it does not. It uses custom-made syrups that are supplied by Fontana, which is a subsidiary of Nestle. At Starbucks’ stores, you can buy classic ones like Vanilla, Hazelnut and Caramel provided they have stock. You can buy these syrups from grocery stores as well. But when it comes to premium flavor syrups such as Pumpkin and Cinnamon, they are not usually offered for sale. You can also find the nutrition information on their website. The burnt taste is mainly because the coffee brewed at Starbucks is more concentrated. It is also possible that the coffee beans at Starbucks are dark-roasted, not burnt. If you are accustomed to less concentrated or bland coffees, such an intense taste may make you feel that the coffee is burnt or bitter.
