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In 2020 Starbucks committed to a resource-positive future, formalizing environmental goals to cut its carbon, water, and waste footprints by half.

As a progression against those goals, the company commits to Carbon Neutral Green Coffee and to conserve water usage in green coffee processing by 50%, both by 2030.

Starbucks has a bold aspiration to be a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-announces-multi-decade-aspiration-to-become-resource-positive/">resource positive</a> company, to take less and give more to the planet in every aspect of its business – including coffee. Starbucks purchases coffee from more than 400,000 farmers in 30 countries around the world and is committed to a sustainable future for coffee.

To protect the resiliency of this supply chain, the people that make it possible, and the planet we all share, Starbucks set goals to achieve carbon neutral green coffee and conserve water usage in green coffee processing by 50% by 2030.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“As we celebrate 50 years of Starbucks, we are looking ahead at ways we can reimagine the future and continue to inspire and nurture the human spirit,” said Michelle Burns, svp of Global Coffee, Tea and Cocoa at Starbucks. “For farmers and their communities, we know it is critical we work together to address the challenges they face associated with climate change which are making it increasingly difficult to grow high-quality coffee. By reducing carbon emissions and conserving water, we can help farmers be more productive while we are also contributing to a better planet and bringing coffee to customers in a sustainable way."

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Accelerating Sustainable Coffee

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From the beginning, Starbucks has been a leader in <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/building-a-sustainable-future-for-coffee-together/">sourcing coffee responsibly</a>.

These coffee-specific environmental goals are an extension of work underway with C.A.F.E. (coffee and farmer equity) Practices. Evidence shows that farmers participating in the program have higher productivity than the country averages. which has helped Starbucks create a long-term supply of high-quality coffee while positively impacting the lives of coffee farmers and their communities.

Now, in support of the company’s path to a Planet Positive future, Starbucks is focusing on its carbon and water footprints at Origin – or what Starbucks refers to as “the first ten feet” (farm to port).

With this focus on on-farm activities and land use change, Starbucks is addressing its largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in coffee before the rest of the coffee value chain (like transportation, roasting, or packaging).

“A strong model for corporate climate leadership; Starbucks has developed clear and ambitious targets that prioritize sustainability from farmer to customer,” said Dr. M. Sanjayan, CEO, Conservation International. “Just as significantly, they are backing these commitments with immediate actions to reduce their footprint and invest in nature. I encourage other companies to follow a similar path. &nbsp;It’s good for business, good for people, and essential for our climate.”&nbsp;

Carbon Neutral Green Coffee

Starbucks will work to meet its 2030 target of carbon neutral green coffee, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in coffee at Origin then compensating for any remaining emissions, by deploying three primary strategies:

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Through Starbucks Farmer Support Centers and a new soil scanning mobile app, the company is helping farmers understand the specific nutrients and fertilizer needed to increase farm productivity. In fact, we have collected nearly 23,000 soil samples in Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda and Kenya to date. With these custom, farm-specific solutions, farmers can target and decrease fertilizer use – which helps to decrease carbon emissions on their farms – and increase farm productivity.

With Starbucks open-source agronomy approach, the company shares research, seeds, and seedlings with farmers all around the world, helping farmers to adapt to climate change. These climate-resistant varietals are rust-resistant and enable farmers to grow more coffee on the same amount of land, which then helps to reduce overall carbon emissions. In fiscal 2021, we distributed more than 10 million trees to farmers in Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. Over the past six years as part of our 10-year, 100 million-tree commitment, Starbucks has donated nearly 60 million coffee trees to farmers.

Land use change and deforestation are the greatest climate risks&nbsp;facing the coffee industry. Working in partnership with Conservation International, Starbucks will invest in forest and landscape protection and restoration programs in coffee producing countries, starting in Colombia and Peru. These agroforestry efforts will not only remove carbon and support the carbon neutral pathway, but also will benefit freshwater ecosystems and coffee communities.

Water Conservation at Origin

Traditional coffee processing is water intensive. With 200,000 wet mills in Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practice supply chain, Starbucks has an opportunity to conserve water by ensuring farmers have access to more environmentally friendly machines, which also standardizes quality and increases processing efficiency for farmers.

Starbucks will&nbsp;achieve&nbsp;50% conservation in water usage by 2030 by:&nbsp;

In fiscal 2021, Starbucks contracted more than 1,200 eco-mills for coffee farms in Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Kenya and Rwanda. The result has been up to 80% water savings in coffee processing where installed.

Through <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/inside-the-tryer-center-the-starbucks-lab-where-anything-is-possible/">Starbucks Tryer Center</a>, we are working with suppliers to explore improvements to existing water processing machinery and technology. Meanwhile, through our <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/ensuring-access-to-agronomy-education-and-resources/">Farmer Support Centers,</a> we are conducting research and gathering insights from farmers to inform future machine design and operations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As part of Starbucks long-term water strategy, the company will develop water replenishment projects at Origin, wAs part of Starbucks long-term water strategy, the company will develop water replenishment projects at Origin, with a focus on prioritizing action in high-risk basins while supporting watershed health, ecosystem resilience and water equity.

Over the last year, Starbucks launched programs in Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, and Kenya to test its carbon and water strategies impacting more than 92,000 farms. In addition to investing in new, water-conserving wet mills, Starbucks worked with farmers to gather more than 11,500 soil and foliar samples to inform soil health.

Based on the success of these initial pilots, Starbucks is now expanding the program to Colombia and launching a new, holistic sustainability project with 100 small-holder farmers in Nariño, Colombia. Over a five-year period, the Nariño project will combine the best of Starbucks knowledge and resources on regenerative agriculture, precision agronomy and farm economics.

Farmers will receive hands-on support including customized, in-depth agricultural and business education and training to best manage their crops and land. They will also receive new equipment and facilities to optimize for reduced water use and carbon emissions and new, climate-resistant coffee seedlings to replace unproductive trees.

This project and partnership with Starbucks will help farmers increase their productivity, quality and profitability while decreasing the environmental footprint generated from coffee growing and processing.

Measuring &amp; Scaling the Work

Starbucks knows the most pressing issues in coffee cannot be solved by one company alone, and that the best solutions require everyone coming together to collaborate in providing a better future for farmers.

Starbucks is working with Conservation International and others, to advise and evolve its carbon neutral coffee roadmap and measurement methodology. Starbucks will share learnings to help the entire industry.

Starbucks has also joined the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate, a CEO-led coalition, as well as the Water Resilience Coalition to elevate our corporate water agenda and partner with other leading companies on collective action projects in key basins around the world.

“On behalf of the CEO Water Mandate team, I am proud to welcome Starbucks to the Water Resilience Coalition’s leadership committee and to working together to advance water stewardship in key basins,” said Jason Morrison, Head of the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate. “This is in line with Starbucks aspiration to be resource-positive and a longstanding history of sustainability work, particularly with coffee farmers on climate-and-water smart agriculture practices. We look forward to having Starbucks join this cohort of leading companies to collectively tackle watershed health issues that will enable more resilient supply chains and farming communities around the world.”

Starbucks will continue to measure its overall carbon and water footprint and share progress annually in its Global Environmental Social Impact Report.&nbsp;The company is also working with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to validate the 2030 corporate sustainability goals, inclusive of green coffee.

The company commits to Carbon Neutral Green Coffee and to conserve water usage in green coffee processing by 50%, both by 2030.

Starbucks announces coffee-specific environmental goals

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As a progression against those goals, the company commits to Carbon Neutral Green Coffee and to conserve water usage in green coffee processing by 50%, both by 2030.

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Starbucks is committed to transparent and ongoing third-party audits and disclosures of our global social and environmental impact. Since 2001, we <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/global-report">have proactively published</a> an annual update on our performance against key Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors. These summaries are audited by third parties and provide a fiscal year summary detailing what we have achieved to date, where we have more to do, and what is still to come. Beginning in 2021, Starbucks has committed to incorporate <a href="https://www.sasb.org/about/">The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board</a> (SASB) ESG reporting standards into our annual Global Environmental and Social Impact Report.

In addition to&nbsp;our&nbsp;annual Global Environmental and Social Impact Report, in 2019, Starbucks commissioned Covington &amp; Burling LLP, under the leadership of former Attorney General Eric Holder, to&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2019/01/Covington-Report-to-Starbucks-Jan-23-2019.pdf">conduct a comprehensive assessment</a>&nbsp;of Starbucks commitment to civil rights, equity, diversity and inclusion.&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2020/02/Starbucks-Civil-Rights-Assessment-2020-Update.pdf">In 2020</a>, we invited Attorney General Holder to conduct a follow up assessment&nbsp;and in 2021, we will share our third Civil Rights Assessment.&nbsp;

We also released a comprehensive&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2020/01/Starbucks-Environmental-Baseline-Report.pdf">Environmental Baseline Audit</a>&nbsp;conducted by Quantis in partnership with the World Wildlife Foundation in 2020.

Recognizing the importance of industry-wide ESG surveys, since 2001, Starbucks has participated in the <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/esg/csa/djsi-csa-annual-review-2020">Dow Jones Sustainability Index</a>. Since 2007, Starbucks self-disclosed information to the <a href="https://www.worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/">Ethisphere Institute</a> and has been consistently recognized as one of the most world’s ethical companies.

Starbucks Commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance Disclosures - Starbucks Stories

Starbucks Commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance Disclosures

Starbucks is committed to transparent and ongoing third-party audits and disclosures of our global social and environmental impact.

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Today in <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/message-from-starbucks-ceo-kevin-johnson-starbucks-new-sustainability-commitment">a public letter</a> citing the company’s enduring mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit, Starbucks chief executive officer Kevin Johnson announced a multi-decade commitment to be a resource-positive company, aspiring to give more than it takes from the planet.

The announcement included science-based preliminary targets for the reduction of carbon emissions, water use and waste by 2030, and outlined five strategies the company has identified to move toward them. 

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Infographic: Starbucks Sustainability Commitment - Starbucks Stories

Infographic: Starbucks Sustainability Commitment

Starbucks ceo Kevin Johnson announced a multi-decade commitment to be a resource-positive company, aspiring to give more than it takes from the planet.

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