Starbucks China launches initiative to support coffee farmers in Yunnan

The campaign includes giving farmers irrigation and processing facilities.

Starbucks has announced that their Starbucks China Farmer Support Centre (FSC) plans to train 50,000 farmers and give education and health support to 6,000 children by 2023.

The first phase of the campaign includes a pilot program with the charitable organisation China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA), where the coffee chain will provide farmers customized agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, soil improvements and access to irrigation and processing facilities.

The said partnership with CFPA will also give 400 elementary school students 400 hours of supplemental education each which includes enrichment activities that improves the students’ mental and emotional development.

“Starbucks has helped establish Yunnan as one of the most important coffee producing regions globally by improving market access for farmers and bringing the best of China’s arabica coffee to the world,” Belinda Wong, CEO of Starbucks China, said.

“I am thrilled to partner CFPA as their unparalleled expertise and capabilities make them the ideal partner to kick-off our commitment to address pressing needs faced by China’s coffee farmers even more effectively. This is only the beginning of our ambition to scale our efforts, one village at a time, to build thriving coffee farming communities for generations to come.”