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At Starbucks, we’ve always been committed to working alongside communities to help people thrive and protect the planet. Since the introduction of our first Caffè Latte in 1984, cow’s milk has been an integral ingredient for the company. As a company that works with and relies on the farming community every day, we have a responsibility to help drive solutions to reach our resource positive goals, support farmers and help ensure a sustainable future of dairy. &nbsp;

Collaborating with farmers to help support a sustainable future is work we’ve done before. Just as with our coffee, Starbucks goal is for the dairy we buy to be produced under high quality and responsible practices.

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Over the past few years, Starbucks has been partnering with dairy cooperatives and farmers to implement solutions across our supply chain and is positioned to expand within its company-operated markets around the world. In China, Starbucks is collaborating with The Nature Conservancy to engage farms in sustainability initiatives like carbon assessments and improvement projects.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In November 2023, Starbucks awarded over $3.1M in cost-share funding to seven California dairy farms participating in the Sustainable Dairy Program. This funding supports eighteen new dairy farm practices and projects, aiming to ensure a sustainable future for dairy. Some examples of these projects include:&nbsp;

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The projects represent a significant decrease in total carbon reduction contributing to our efforts to cut our carbon footprint in half by 2030 and continuing support for dairy farmers on their sustainability journey.&nbsp;

In addition to the support farmers receive through the Starbucks Sustainable Dairy Program, Starbucks is also leveraging those dollars to support farmers through additional grant opportunities. MDVA is a key dairy supplier for Starbucks and has made great strides in the program this past year. They will be the next set of cost-share fund recipients in 2024 in the United States.&nbsp;

"Starbucks Sustainable Dairy Program has made a real difference on our member farms - Starbucks is not only bringing resources to our members but providing leadership and direction to help shape a new dairy supply chain where there is a shared responsibility from farm to customer for the environmental impact of dairy. With strategic investments in best management practices, dairy has the opportunity to be an environmental solution and gain the confidence of our dairy consumers in our sustainability journey." Lindsay Reames, Executive Vice President, Sustainability &amp; External Relations, Maryland &amp; Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative. &nbsp;

“White Rock Farms LLC chose to participate in this program because we are proud of the milk we produce and the practices we follow. This program supports our endeavors to farm in a sustainable way that reflects the values of our farm, Starbucks, and our customers,” said Roddy Purser.&nbsp;

By the end of this fiscal year, Starbucks plans to continue to drive methane reduction and expand enrollment in its Sustainable Dairy Program to 100% of the company’s U.S. dairy supply chain. &nbsp;

In addition, Starbucks has joined the <a href="https://www.edf.org/article/global-food-companies-join-edf-for-groundbreaking-step-on-dairy-methane" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dairy Methane Action Alliance</a> (DMAA) led by The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to create a dairy methane action plan and report on global dairy methane emissions for Starbucks company-operated fluid milk supply.&nbsp;

Most recently, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2024/starbucks-journey-to-sustainable-dairy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Canada announced</a> a collaboration with Dairy Farmers of Canada to help accelerate environmental stewardship on Canada’s dairies with an investment of $500,000 to support dairy sustainability-focused projects over the course of this year, rewarding the continued efforts of Canadian dairy farmers on their path to net zero.&nbsp;

Starbucks Sustainable Dairy Program&nbsp;

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Toward that effort, in 2022 Starbucks launched its Sustainable Dairy Program in the United States, designed to advance environmental stewardship, help enhance farmer and workforce conditions, and help ensure the quality care of animals. The program provides farmers with tools and information to help ensure a more sustainable dairy industry for future generations, including: &nbsp;

Kathryn, a farmer enrolled in the Starbucks Sustainable Dairy Program, shares the sustainable practices her family uses on their farm in California.&nbsp;

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To date, farms representing 100% of the dairy we purchase in California through the California Dairies Inc. cooperative have joined the Starbucks Sustainable Dairy Program. We’ve completed carbon baseline activities and the evaluation of social, environmental and animal care practices on the majority of participating farms in California, Oregon, and Washington. By the end of this fiscal year, we plan to have over 60% of our U.S. supply chain participating in the program. &nbsp;

Collaboration has been key for Starbucks to implement the program on dairy farms, including partnership with SCS Global Services, who helped tailor a whole farm assessment model that fits the Starbucks dairy supply chain, and Sustainable Environmental Consultants, who have partnered to collect and analyze environmental data from dairy farms and support the development of continuous improvement plans to reduce carbon emissions. &nbsp;

U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative

In 2020, Starbucks joined the U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative (NZI), a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-solidifies-pathway-to-a-planet-positive-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">partnership</a> of the U.S. dairy community working to accelerate industry-wide progress toward achieving greenhouse gas neutrality and improvements in water conservation and quality on farms.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Through NZI, Starbucks partners directly with farmers in our supply chain and has committed to invest $10 million toward the research and implementation of new practices in feed production to manure management, nutrition and on-farm energy efficiency with the goal of providing farmers with technology and environmental practices.&nbsp;

An example of how this partnership comes to life is a pilot with Alliance Dairies in Florida implementing a full suite of technologies and practices across several workstreams to demonstrate outcomes that are economically viable and sustainable with the potential to eliminate up to 25% of feed loss, reduce carbon, increase renewable energy and decrease&nbsp;diesel use. The learnings from this pilot will be shared to help more farmers and support impact at scale.

In partnership with the University of Florida, NZI is conducting an enteric methane study determining the ability of daily feed intake and enteric methane emissions measurement to detect reductions in methane production expected from utilizing a feed additive called Rumensin. Additional feed additives are also being vetted for testing to increase the options available for farmers. Results from this work will help to ensure that enteric mitigation practices are effective and economical in a controlled research environment before applying these practices on the farm.

<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/starbucks-journey-to-sustainable-dairy/">Learn more about Starbucks journey to sustainable dairy.</a>&nbsp;

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Just as with our coffee, Starbucks goal is for the dairy we buy to be produced under high quality, sustainable and responsible practices.

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Today, Starbucks is launching a collaborative effort with dairy farmers and <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/">The Nature Conservancy</a> to help refine and scale an approach to sustainable dairy and environmental stewardship for the betterment of people, planet and animals.

Supporting the long-term health of the dairy industry is the latest effort in Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-solidifies-pathway-to-a-planet-positive-future/">commitment to a resource positive future</a> – giving more than we take from the planet.

Since Starbucks introduced its first handcrafted beverage, the Caffè Latte, in 1984, cow’s milk has been an integral ingredient for the company. And while Starbucks will continue to expand <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/plant-based-menu-innovation-at-starbucks/">plant-based menu options</a>, dairy is part of more than half of Starbucks core beverage offerings.

At the same time, dairy is the biggest contributor to Starbucks carbon footprint and the second highest contributor to water withdrawal. To reach our planet positive goals, we must innovate and work with others to source dairy responsibly and sustainably.

“As a company that works with and relies on the farming community every day, it’s our responsibility to help drive solutions that support both people and our planet,” said Kelly Bengston, Starbucks Chief Procurement Officer. “We hope to combine the best knowledge and resources to help farmers increase their productivity, quality and profitability while decreasing their environmental footprint. More than anything, our success depends on how we work together.”

Collaborating with farmers to support a sustainable future is <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/building-a-sustainable-future-for-coffee-together/">work we’ve done before</a>. In 2004, Starbucks introduced <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/cafe-practices-starbucks-approach-to-ethically-sourcing-coffee/">Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices</a>, Starbucks approach to ethical sourcing. Developed with Conservation International, these guidelines provide comprehensive social, environmental, and economic criteria that if followed, can help sustain and strengthen communities that grow coffee while maintaining Starbucks high-quality standards, now and into the future.

Just as with our coffee, Starbucks goal is for the dairy we buy to be produced under high quality, sustainable and responsible practices. With the same collaborative spirit that inspired our C.A.F.E. Practices nearly two decades ago, Starbucks will learn from and work with dairy farmers and The Nature Conservancy to refine and scale our collaborative approach.

“Starbucks and The Nature Conservancy have a shared commitment to a more regenerative, lower-emission dairy industry,”&nbsp;says Stewart Lindsay, Managing Director, Corporate Engagement at The Nature Conservancy. “Starbucks has set compelling goals, and we look forward to working with the company, with producers, and with other partners to achieve better outcomes for people, animals, and the planet.”

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit that has grown to reach 75 countries and territories. Their team consists of more than 400 scientists on staff dedicated to addressing our planet’s biggest challenges: climate change and biodiversity loss. They have a long history of working with the agriculture industry – from farmers to ranchers – to advance conservation and promote climate and water smart practices.

Read on for an at-a-glance look at milestones in Starbucks journey to sustainable dairy:

Piloted key aspects of a new Sustainable Dairy Program in the United States, China and U.K. company-operated markets to help refine and scale an approach to sustainable dairy and environmental stewardship for the betterment of people, planet and animals. These markets focused primarily on baselining GHG emissions on several dairy farms within their supply chains and piloted key aspects of a new on-farm holistic standard. Insights from these pilots will be applied in FY23 and FY24 as the program rolls out to several global markets.

Launches our first on-farm pilot through U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative with Alliance Dairy, a farm that is woman-owned and operated, and has a strong record of sustainability, including water reuse and converting methane into biogas. Alliance Dairy was an early adopter and has been producing renewable energy from manure since 2012. As part of this pilot, a full suite of technologies, like evaporative nutrient recovery, will be explored with the goal of helping Alliance Dairy to become a source of renewable and organic fertilizer and water reuse, while significantly reducing GHG emissions.

Begins work with Agolin in the U.S. to source milk from cows fed Agolin Ruminant, a plant-based feed additive certified by the Carbon Trust to improve feed efficiency and reduce enteric methane, ultimately reducing dairy’s carbon footprint while also helping dairy farmers increase financial returns.

Starbucks UK launches a pilot with Arla cooperative farmers around the UK. The program seeks to identify innovative new farming practices to help reduce the emissions associated with dairy production that can be scaled across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Announces a collaboration with The Nature Conservancy to help refine and scale Starbucks collaborative approach to sustainable dairy and environmental stewardship. This foundational effort includes working with farms and co-ops in Starbucks supply chain to perform baseline assessments against social and environmental practices that we believe can help propel the industry towards a more sustainable future – helping to reduce emissions and protect water resources.

Joins the U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative (NZI), a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-solidifies-pathway-to-a-planet-positive-future/">partnership</a> of the U.S. dairy community seeking to enable progress toward the industry’s goals of achieving greenhouse gas neutrality and improvements in water quality on farms. Through a $10m investment, Starbucks is providing more farmers access to effective environmental and economically viable practices and technologies – from feed production to manure handling, cow care and on-farm energy efficiency.

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Joins the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance as a <a href="https://vanguardrenewables.com/vanguard-renewables-launches-farm-powered-strategic-alliance-as-a-call-to-action-for-food-manufacturers-and-retailers/">founding member</a>, repurposing food waste in Starbucks supply chain into renewable energy via farm-based anaerobic digesters. The process produces low carbon fertilizer that host farms use to support regenerative agriculture practices, while Starbucks, in turn, helps contribute to a low carbon economy.

Invests $100m in <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/starbucks-commits-100-million-as-cornerstone-investor-in-valor-siren-ventures/">Valor Siren Ventures</a>, a growth driver for the next generation of food and retail start-up technology companies like Blue Ocean Barns – which is focused on curbing methane emissions through all-natural feed additives.

Photos courtesy of Alliance Dairy

Starbucks is launching a collaborative effort with dairy farmers and The Nature Conservancy to help refine and scale an approach to sustainable dairy.

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