May 2013 C&CI • Coffee World • 7
Colombian government offers millions
more in aid In February, the Colombian government and the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) announced plans to extend the Farmer’s Income Support (AIC) programme until July, a measure that the FNC said was necessary “to sustain the nation’s coffee plantation conversion process to adapt to new climate conditions.”
The decision by the Colombian government and the FNC came at a time when coffee farmers had been on strike in order to protest about their conditions. The FNC said it hoped the renewed support would alleviate concerns of coffee growers about lower international prices and the adverse effect on their incomes of exchange rate appreciation.
The FNC says production should start picking up again once new varieties begin cropping (photo: Neil Palmer, CIAT)
Starbucks expands ethical sourcing programme with new agronomy centre
To help coffee farming communities around the world mitigate the effects of climate change, and support long- term crop stability, Starbucks Coffee Company is expanding the company’s US$70 million ethical sourcing programme with a new farming research and development centre in Costa Rica. The programmes are part of Starbucks ongoing US$1 billion commitment to ethically sourcing 100 per cent of its coffee by 2015. Starbucks will adapt a 240-hectare farm located on the slopes of the Poas Volcano
Starbucks has acquired a 240 hectare farm in Costa Rica which it intends to use as an agronomy centre
“We welcome the decision of President Santos and appreciate the effort that is being made both in terms of change in our plantations to alleviate the current problem of lower incomes that occurs as a result of the appreciation of the Colombian peso,” said Luis Gerardo Muñoz Ortega, CEO of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation. “With this support we can continue the coffee tree renovation process to which we are committed.”
According to the FNC, the Farmer Income Support programme has cost US$52 million since it was implemented in October 2012.
Final_Outlined_REK_C&CI_Ad_2013.pdf 1 3/28/13 4:07 PM
into a global agronomy centre. The work happening on this farm will enable the company to expand its Coffee and Farming Equity practices (CAFE) model developed in partnership with Conservation International which ensures coffee quality while promoting social, environmental and economic standards. In addition to supporting resiliency for farmers around the world, this farm will also influence the development of coffee varietals based on the insight offered through soil management processes. This proprietary work could offer significant advantage in the development of future blends. “This investment, and the cumulative impact it will have when combined with programmes we have put into place over the last forty years, will support the resiliency of coffee farmers and their families as well as the one million people that represent our collective coffee supply chain,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ Chairman, President and CEO. “It also opens up an opportunity for Starbucks to innovate with proprietary coffee varietals that can support the development of future blends.”
The new facility will build on work currently happening at five farmer support centres worldwide in Rwanda, Tanzania, Colombia, China – as well as Starbucks’ first farmer support centre which opened in San Jose, Costa Rica in 2004.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52