In defense of Starbucks

In a post yesterday, Becky mentioned the new Starbucks opening at College and Cumberland. In the comments, some people were quite angry with the company and made derogatory comments towards Starbucks.

I did some homework, and got some real numbers for you (the italic is me, the black is Starbucks).

Purveying quality coffees means much more than selecting the finest beans on the
market. Starbucks strongly believes in the importance of building mutually-beneficial relationships with coffee farmers and coffee communities with which we work. The success of the farmers with whom we do business is a critical component of our own success. We are taking an integrated approach to building relationships with coffee communities. Components of Starbucks integrated approach are:

Premium Prices Paying coffee farmers premium prices to help them make profits and support their families. In 2004, Starbucks paid an average of $1.20/pound. That’s 74% higher than world coffee prices.

Access to Affordable Credit Providing coffee farmers access to affordable credit
through various loan funds so that farmers can invest in their farms and their
success into the future. Starbucks gave $6 million in loan funds in 2004.

Certified and Conservation Coffees Purchasing conservation and certified coffees, including Fair Trade Certified™, shade grown and certified organic, to promote responsible environmental and economic efforts. Starbucks purchased 4.8 million pounds of Fair Trade Coffee in 2004, (Double the amount in 2003) and set a goal of 10 million pounds in 2005.

C.A.F.E. Practices Encouraging participation in Starbucks Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices (C.A.F.E. Practices), a set of socially responsible coffee buying guidelines, by offering preferential buying status for participants that score the highest on verified reports. In fact, Starbucks purchased 43.5 million pounds of coffee from suppliers in the C.A.F.É. Practices program.

Social Development Programs Starbucks invested $1.8 million in social programs to build schools, health clinics and other projects that benefit coffee-growing communities.

Farmer Support Center Collaborating with farmers through the Farmer Support
Center, located in Costa Rica, to provide technical support and training that
promotes high-quality coffee for the future.