Starbucks introduces Cafe Estima Blend(TM)
New Fair Trade Certified(TM) coffee.
11/10/05 To support Fair Trade Month 2005 and raise awareness of its new Fair Trade Certified(TM)coffee, Starbucks Coffee Company will feature new Cafe Estima Blend(TM) as "Coffee of the Week" this week in thousands of Company-operated stores across the United States and Canada. The offering will coincide with Fair Trade Month (October 1-31), which is being organized by TransFair USA in an effort to bring attention to critical social and economic issues facing coffee farmers.
A blend of washed coffees from Latin America and East Africa, Cafe Estima Blend will be brewed daily as the bold offering in participating Starbucks Company-operated retail stores from October 10 -- 16. Stores involved in the "Coffee of the Week" program are requested to brew Cafe Estima Blend during business hours for seven consecutive days.
This year, Starbucks will purchase 10 million pounds of Fair Trade Certified coffee, making it North America's largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified coffee. Next year, the company plans to purchase 12 million pounds of Fair Trade Certified coffee. Starbucks is the only company certified to sell Fair Trade Certified coffee in 23 countries.
In addition to offering Cafe Estima Blend in Company-operated and licensed locations throughout North America, Starbucks offers five different offerings of Fair Trade Certified coffee to its Foodservice customers, such as college campuses, restaurants and hotels. Licensed stores on college and university campuses will offer Cafe Estima Blend and Decaf Fair Trade Blend on a daily basis beginning this fall. Starbucks also sells three varieties of Fair Trade Certified coffees through its alliance with Costco Wholesale and will offer Cafe Estima Blend through grocery and club stores in North America in early 2006.
Additionally, U.S. Barnes & Noble cafes serving Starbucks coffee will serve Cafe Estima Blend on a daily basis as one of several featured coffees. Cafe Estima Blend whole bean coffee is $9.95 U.S./$14.65 CAN per pound.
Starbucks has developed an integrated approach to building mutually beneficial relationships with coffee farmers and their communities, including paying premium prices to help coffee farmers make profits and support their families; encouraging participation in C.A.F.E. Practices (Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices), a set of socially responsible coffee buying guidelines; providing access to affordable credit to coffee farmers through various loan funds so that farmers can invest in their farms and their success into the future; investing in social development projects in coffee producing countries; purchasing conservation (shade grown) and certified coffees (Fair Trade Certified and certified organic) to promote responsible environmental or economic efforts; and collaborating with farmers through the Farmer Support Center, located in Costa Rica, to provide technical support and training that promotes high-quality, sustainable coffee for the future.
Starbucks formed an alliance with TransFair USA in April 2000, and has since become North America's largest roaster and retailer of Fair Trade Certified coffee. Today, Fair Trade Certified coffee is sold in all Starbucks U.S. and Canadian Company-operated stores, some international markets, and available in grocery outlets and foodservice accounts (including airline, hotel and college and university locations).
Starbucks Corporation is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, with more than 9,500 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim. The Company is committed to offering the highest quality coffee and the Starbucks Experience while conducting its business in ways that produce social, environmental and economic benefits for communities in which it does business. In addition to its retail operations, the Company produces and sells bottled Frappuccino(R) coffee drinks, Starbucks DoubleShot(TM) espresso drink, and a line of superpremium ice creams through its joint venture partnerships. The Company's brand portfolio provides a wide variety of consumer products. The Tazo Tea line of innovative premium teas and exceptional Hear Music compact discs enhance the Starbucks Experience through best-of-class products.
