Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) announced today that its has purchased 75,000 pounds of Guatemalan and Nicaraguan coffee from vendors who have guaranteed that the coffee is certified Fair Trade.

“These purchases illustrate our ongoing strong and enduring commitment to improve the lives of people who grow, harvest and process the coffee we purchase,” said Mary Williams, Starbucks senior vice president, Coffee. “Through our coffee purchases, we have long been committed to raising the income of small coffee farmers. Fair Trade coffee represents one such opportunity.”

In recent months, Starbucks has been actively searching for Fair Trade coffee that meets its quality standards. The company’s commitment to Fair Trade coffee was re-emphasized on February 14, 2000 at Starbucks annual shareholders’ meeting by Orin Smith, Starbucks president and chief operating officer.

Over the past several months, Starbucks coffee experts taste-tested several Fair Trade certified samples from different countries, but the coffees did not meet the company’s quality standards.

“We have purchased coffee over the years from the Neuva Segovia Region of Nicaragua and Atitlan Region of Guatemala,” Williams said. “These regions produce excellent coffee and we have high hopes that this Fair Trade coffee will meet our customers expectations for coffee sold by Starbucks.”

Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. In addition to its retail locations in North America, the United Kingdom, the Pacific Rim, and the Middle East, Starbucks sells whole bean coffees through its specialty sales group, direct response business, supermarkets and online at Starbucks.com. Additionally, Starbucks produces and sells bottled Frappuccino® coffee drink and a line of premium ice creams through its joint venture partnerships and offers a line of innovative premium teas produced by its wholly owned subsidiary, Tazo Tea Company.

Starbucks Corporation

Starbucks Corporation

It's the way we do business Contributing positively to our communities and environment is so important to Starbucks that it's a guiding principle of our mission statement. We jointly fulfill this commitment with partners (employees), at all levels of the company, by getting involved together to help build stronger communities and conserve natural resources.

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