...We take allegations like these extremely seriously and are actively engaged with farms to ensure they adhere to our standards. Starbucks remains committed to working with our business partners to meet the expectations detailed in our Global Human Rights Statement. Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices, one of the industry’s first set of ethical sourcing standards when it launched in 2004, remains the cornerstone of our holistic work to ensure the long-term supply of high-quality coffee.

Developed in collaboration with Conservation International, C.A.F.E. Practices is a verification program, not a one-time certification system. To maintain an active status in the program, each supply chain is required to undergo reverification regularly with frequency dictated by their performance in the program and the size of the farm...Evaluation criteria are open-sourced and publicly available, consisting of more than 200 indicators across four criteria areas: economic transparency, social responsibility, environmental leadership and quality.

In instances where Starbucks is notified of alleged violations, we take immediate action. This includes an investigation that may lead to suspending the commercial relationship with a farm, or asking the farm to create a plan describing how the issue will be corrected...

Through two decades of auditing farms, evaluating results, and strengthening our auditing standards and practices to be among the most stringent in the industry, we’ve gained valuable insights into what support coffee farmers need. We take pride in conducting business responsibly and supporting communities where we do business, from bean to cup...