The majority of raw coffee purchased by Starbucks (77%) comes from farms that are operated according to the Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ guidelines (C.A.F.E. Practices). Currently around 185,000 farmers in 18 countries are involved in the programme, which was developed in 2004 in collaboration with Conservation International. In The Netherlands, eight varieties of our whole bean coffees are verified according to these principles. These are: Espresso Roast, Decaf Espresso Roast, House Blend, Decaf House Blend, Guatemala Antigua, Colombia Narino Supremo, Caffè Verona and Italian Roast.

The Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ indicators are evaluated by independent verifiers under the supervision of Scientific Certification Systems (SCS).

They comprise the following areas:

• Product quality

• Economic accountability - Suppliers must provide proof of payment for all stages of the production and supply chain, including records of payments made to coffee farmers.

• Social responsibility - This is the guarantee of safe, ethical and humane working conditions. It also includes protecting the rights of workers and ensuring decent living conditions for them. Aspects such as payment of fixed minimum prices, combating illegal child labour and forced labour, and anti-discrimination measures are also included as a matter of course.

• Environmentally-friendly business practices - Environmentally friendly practices must be used in coffee cultivation and production. These include waste disposal, protecting water quality, water and energy-saving measures, maintaining biodiversity and reducing the use of chemicals in the environment.

Under the umbrella of the Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ program, we are working with other partners as well as Conservation International. In this way Starbucks doubled the quantity of its Fairtrade-certified coffee in 2009 to 18 million kilograms and became the world’s largest buyer of Fairtrade-certified coffee. Our Café Estima Blend has been Fairtrade-certified in Switzerland since 2002. Since March 2010, all our espresso coffees have been certified by Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ as well as by Fairtrade.

Environmental protection

Our commitment to environmental protection is a central theme running through the history of Starbucks and is an essential component of the Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ program. From waste prevention, through recycling and climate protection, to the environmentally sound interior fitting of its coffee houses and office premises, Starbucks has high standards in the area of environmental protection.