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Corporate Social Responsibility
News
5.04.2004 ET
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CSR News from:
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Starbucks Distributes 2003 Special Reserve Coffee Award Money to Farming Cooperatives in Indonesia, Guatemala and Kenya
Fourth Annual Search for the Year’s Best Coffees Now Underway
(CSRwire) SEATTLE — Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) announced
today the distribution of award money to four coffee farming communities
in Sumatra, Guatemala and Kenya that won the 2003 Starbucks® Special
Reserve contest, the company’s annual search for the world’s
best coffee. The funding will be used to support social improvement
projects that were jointly determined by the winning farming cooperative
and Starbucks.
“Starbucks is fortunate to work with farmers who produce the
world’s best coffee,” said Dub Hay, senior vice president,
Coffee for Starbucks. “We value our relationships with all coffee
farmers and we hope our Starbucks® Special Reserve financial investments
make a lasting difference in these remote communities. The social fund
component of our program is another example of how Starbucks looks for
ways to positively contribute to the people and places that grow our
coffee.”
The money will be divided equally between the communities for the
following projects:
Indonesia, Sumatra (Lintong, Sileang Village) – water supply
system
To date, this village of 75 houses has relied on rain as the primary
source of water. The Special Reserve award will be used to construct a
water supply system from a natural spring that lies approximately 500
meters away from the village. Soon, the villagers will have direct access
to a constant supply of fresh water.
Guatemala (San Marcos, Finca las Nubes) – health clinic
construction
A local work force will build a new health clinic that will serve more
than 2,800 people during the harvest season. Plans for the clinic include
a waiting room, reception and patient control office, medicine cabinet,
lab, shower, dental operating room, maternity ward, two patient rooms and
four restrooms. All restrooms will have hot water showers.
Guatemala (Antigua, Finca Santa Clara) – expansion of health
clinic services and construction of kitchen, dining room and
restroom
Funding will be used to make infrastructure improvements on a building
used by temporary workers during harvest season. Additionally, the farm
will expand health services to the community by providing eye exams,
women’s health services and educational materials for health
awareness.
Kenya (Nyeri, regional cooperatives) – purchase of ambulance
for Nyeri Hospice
As a non-profit organization, Nyeri Hospice is located in the heart of a
coffee growing community in Nairobi. The hospice cares for terminally ill
cancer patients and HIV-AIDS patients. Starbucks social project funding
will be used to purchase a four-wheel drive vehicle that will transport
medical staff to patient residences or patients to the hospice.
Looking ahead to the 2004 Starbucks® Special Reserve Coffee, Starbucks
has invited coffee growers, exporters and importers to submit their finest
coffee for consideration.
“The search for the world’s best coffee is
never-ending,” continued Hay. “Even as we celebrate the
success of last year’s Special Reserve coffee and the resulting
social programs, I’m looking forward to the exotic and unique
coffees we will taste and consider for Special Reserve 2004.”
Through May, Starbucks Coffee Trading Company in Lausanne, Switzerland
will accept coffee samples from around the world. After roasting the
samples, Starbucks experienced coffee tasters will select their favorites
of the 2004 crop year through their standard rigorous cupping process,
evaluating each coffee’s individual excellence on four key
attributes: aroma, body, acidity and flavor. This fall, Starbucks will
unveil its 2004 Special Reserve Blend, inviting customers to sample the
finest coffee of the growing season. It will also work with the winning
farmers to identify social programs that will benefit their community.
Introduced in 2001, Starbucks® Special Reserve is a contest that
highlights the company’s passion for exceptional coffee and
commitment to preserving sustainable coffee farming practices on farms of
all sizes. The Special Reserve designation has been awarded by Starbucks
to recognize coffee from farms that produce coffee that perfectly captures
the best of the year’s growing season. In addition to paying a fair
price for the premium coffees from the winning farms, Starbucks makes a
financial contribution to the community where the farms are located to
help fund a relevant project, such as education or medical efforts.
Social improvements completed as a result of past Special Reserve programs
include advanced dental equipment in farm health care facilities;
transportation upgrades; and enhancements to coffee processing facilities
that help improve the quality of coffee on participating cooperatives,
reduce the impact to the environment, increase production yields, and
boost profitability.
Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of
specialty coffee in the world, with more than 7,500 retail locations in
North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim.
The Company is committed to offering the highest quality coffee and the
Starbucks Experience while conducting its business in ways that produce
social, environmental and economic benefits for communities in which it
does business.
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