Sustainable Marketing

Why aren’t all the major food companies develop ethical sourcing policies for their ingredients? What are the biggest factors holding these companies back from doing the right thing for the environment an

d society? Should the company be concern more on what is the right thing to do, or whether it is the right thing to do for business success? Often time companies focused more on the later one which is the fundamental change that companies must embrace.

Using Starbucks Coffee for example, ingredient policies, or standards, are an essential part of the company’s sourcing approach. After many years of experience in working in area of connecting standards with technical assistance and financing, Starbucks were able to see the long-term success in a result of the supplier. That is why they took the advantage and work hand in hand with producers to help improve quality and to ensure environmental and social best practices.

Starbucks developed the policies in collaboration with Conservation International decade ago known as C.A.F.E. Practices, this stringent verification program is a set of more than 200 social, economic and environmental indicators (evaluated by third-party organizations) that help the company to evaluate and reward producers of high-quality, socially responsible and sustainably grown coffee. In doing so, C.A.F.E. Practices helps to build more resilient farming communities that can more readily adapt to change in weather patterns or any coffee related challenges such as pests or disease issues while meeting our continued need for high quality Arabica coffee.

In short, I personally believe that Starbucks made a good decision in investing in responsible sourcing policies that can ensure them a long-term supply of high quality ingredients that help foster a better future for farmers and a more stable climate for the planet.  All of which are critical elements of our success at Starbucks Coffee Company.