Starbucks has made a guarantee that all their coffee will be ethically sourced by 2015 and that 100 percent of their cups will be reusable or recyclable. So why the change of heart? Why now?
It hasn’t been a secret that Starbucks has faced some business challenges in the past year. The coffee giant recently announced the closure of 800 stores in the US and 100 internationally . Starbucks has also dealt with protests and criticism regarding their fair-trade policies and their large environmental footprint.The Shared Plant Campaign™ is the intended the vehicle to overhaul Starbucks’ reputation.
For years, Starbucks has said that even though its Café Estima blend was its only FairTrade Certified Coffee that all their coffee was purchased at a fair price. I have always been skeptical of this claim. In light of Starbucks’ recent guarantee that by 2015 all their coffee will be ethically sourced, I wonder if they have always purchased coffee and fair prices, otherwise why choose to partner with TransFair(USA) and the FLO now? This is undoubtedly a move to ensure that their efforts are recognized, but does the average consumer really understand what FLO or TranFair Certified means? Probably not, and hopefully Starbucks will take the opportunity to educate their customers about the benefits of FairTrade and environmental sustainability.
Starbucks’ add campaign proclaiming “You and Starbucks. It’s bigger than coffee” is vague, and perhaps this lack of clarity is intended to drive traffic to the website and into stores in order to find out more. I can’t help wonder if those who already are curious about sustainability issues represent the largest number of hits to their Shared Planet site. If Starbucks plays its cards right and actually commits to meeting their objective without greenwashing, a new standard could be set for the industry. Maybe, just maybe… but I must admit, I am slightly doubtful.
With the “Green” movement being so prevalent in today’s world, many large corporate companies are scrambling for ways to still make profit but still be “Green”, and Starbucks is no exception.
Let’s face it, Starbucks, no matter what they do, can never be “Green” enough for todays world. There is nothing “Green” about owning 15,000 stores; producing millions of re-usable/ recyclable cups; growing & shipping hundreds of thousands of pounds of Coffee (http://indrep.nisto.com/arc/2000/04/coffee.html). The list goes on and on…
From a business perspective they probably see this as one of their few paths to growth. Their international efforts have been mixed and may take even longer to pan out due to the economic crash. The real “growth market” for them has to be in Fair Trade, organic and sustainable. Re-creating their image to exemplify these ideals is an interesting switch, and welcomed by me.
Now, I am skeptical they can do this in the most ethical ways. The big companies already make up the largest buyers of Fair Trade coffee by volume even though the proportion remains very low. FLO and Transfair have negotiated special deals in the past and need to MAKE SURE that this extra weight brought about by this incredible volume does not cause a marginalization of standards. Due to the size and scope of Starbucks, it is of the utmost importance that ideals and principles are sustained, if not improved upon. The labeling deal with Starbucks could very well define the future of Fair Trade coffee in the United States and the viability of a truly fair trade model on a large scale. I will be staying very tuned.
Nathan, I feel that at least the coffee production will be sustainable in all ways if done correctly. Any type of consumption is ultimately not going to be perfect, but hopefully Starbucks can also be a leader and start a trend that won’t end with them, or with the current measures they are taking.
Thanks so much for your comments, I really appreciate them. No company can be ever be completely “green”. By virtue of existing we all have an impact on the environment. We should all (companies included) try to be “greener” as apposed to striving for something that might be impossible to achieve.
[...] 5, 2010 by Kristen Romilly Last April I wrote about Starbucks’ commitment to their Shared Planet CampaignTM; the company’s pledge to [...]