The guidelines are based on the recently published Conservation Principles for Coffee Production, which were developed jointly by Consumers Choice Council, Conservation International, the Rainforest Alliance and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Starbucks and other industry leaders played an advisory role in the creation of these principles. Starbucks and The Center for Environmental Leadership in Business received important feedback from industry, academic and non-governmental organizations on the Starbucks guidelines. The Starbucks sourcing guidelines and all supporting documents can be found online at www.starbucks.com and www.celb.org.
This initiative is part of a long-term partnership between Starbucks and Conservation International to promote methods of coffee production that help to conserve global biodiversity, said Justin Ward, Director, Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries for The Center. These guidelines create opportunities to apply the lessons learned from our field project in Chiapas, Mexico, on a larger scale within the worldwide coffee industry.
A major outcome of the partnership to date has been the availability of Shade Grown Mexico coffee in Starbucks stores and other retail channels. The production of Shade Grown Mexico coffee protects biodiversity while providing economic benefits for local farmers in the last remaining cloud forest in Southern Mexico. More about this partnership and about CIs Conservation Coffee program can be found online at www.starbucks.com/ongoodgrounds and at
Contact: Jason W. Anderson
j.anderson@celb.org
202-912-1464
Conservation International
12-Nov-2001