Starbucks and Conservation International
...rated a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department to oversee its involvement in literacy programs, community volunteering, environmental affairs, shade-grown coffee, and international relief efforts. Most of the worlds coffee growers were small to medium sized, family-owned farms. They lived on the edge of poverty. Low coffee prices had led to the more frequent use of strip harvesting, a less labor-intensive process that pulled all cherries at once, regardless of ripeness and resulted in a lower-quality coffee. Without shade trees, coffee plants required more intensive fertilization and pest control. Machinery and agrochemicals added significantly to production costs. In 2001, retail margins on coffee were low, however gourmet coffee market grew to 8% of world sales. Starbucks owns the entire process of roasting, evaluating, packaging etc. it has strict control of the production systems. Conservation International formed an alliance with Starbucks to preserve and promote shade-grown coffee and prevent further deforesta...