Starbucks Acquires More Innovation Farms for Climate-Resilient Coffee

Starbucks is acquiring additional innovation farms to develop climate-resilient coffee varieties. This initiative aims to enhance the sustainability of coffee production and tackle the challenges posed by climate change. By investing in innovative farming practices, Starbucks seeks to ensure the quality and availability of coffee in the face of environmental shifts, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and a more secure future for coffee cultivation.

Farmers in Costa Rica and Guatemala will experiment with drones and hybrid crop varieties as the company seeks to tackle some of the region's most urgent challenges.

Starbucks is acquiring two innovation farms in Central America to safeguard its coffee supply against the impacts of climate change. These farms, located in Costa Rica and Guatemala, will focus on researching hybrid coffee varieties to enhance the development of climate-resilient coffee. Additionally, the Costa Rica farm will experiment with drones and other labor-saving technologies as Starbucks investigates automation to mitigate workforce shortages in Latin America.

With this new addition, Starbucks now operates three innovation farms, having established its first in Costa Rica over a decade ago. The coffee giant plans to invest further in farms across Africa and Asia to create an innovation network in the world's largest coffee-growing regions.

Dive Insight:
As the company sources 3% of the world's coffee, Starbucks is increasing its investments in its supply chain. Experts predict that rising temperatures and changing climates will significantly impact coffee production, potentially reducing suitable land for cultivation by half by 2050.

Starbucks exclusively uses Arabica beans, which are particularly sensitive to heat. Even slight temperature changes can significantly affect coffee yield, flavor, and aroma, according to the Climate Institute.

Extreme temperatures have already harmed production in many leading coffee-growing regions. Severe droughts in Brazil and Vietnam have recently driven up coffee prices and threatened supply shortages.

For companies like Starbucks, innovation is crucial for securing coffee supplies and overcoming significant challenges in expanding production, especially as global demand rises. U.S. daily coffee consumption reached a 20-year high this year, and demand continues to grow in countries like China.

At its Hacienda Alsacia innovation farm in Costa Rica, Starbucks has developed a coffee variety resistant to coffee rust, a disease that has significantly reduced yields and remains a major concern in Latin America. The company has distributed around 90 million climate-resistant coffee trees and over 53 million coffee seedlings to farmers.

New innovation farms in Asia and other regions will facilitate research tailored to specific geographical needs, enabling Starbucks to implement scalable solutions across the "Coffee Belt" regions.

In addition to enhancing climate resilience, Starbucks is also exploring methods to reduce its environmental footprint. The chain aims to achieve "carbon neutral green coffee" by 2030.

“Through these innovation farms, we will create solutions that improve coffee productivity and quality while equipping farmers with the necessary tools and knowledge to thrive in a changing world and challenging climate,” stated Roberto Vega, Starbucks' vice president of global coffee agronomy, R&D, and sustainability.

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Source: agriculturedive‍