The El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas, Mexico, where Shade Grown Mexico coffee comes from, is a region CI considers to be one of the world’s most environmentally sensitive. CI and Starbucks support farmers who grow coffee under the protection of shade, creating and maintaining a forested buffer zone around the Reserve.
In 2001, farmers producing Shade Grown Mexico received a 60 percent price premium over local prices for their coffee, and exported 50% more than the previous year. Since 1998, the number of cooperatives involved in the project doubled. Today there are nearly 700 farmers and more than 2000 hectares involved in the program.
In 1999, Starbucks made an initial purchase of 76,000 pounds of Shade Grown Mexico coffee and began offering it in our U.S. company-owned retail locations. Last year, we purchased more than 1.6 million pounds of Shade Grown Mexico.
In fiscal 2003, Starbucks invested $200,000 in CI’s Conservation Coffee™ program. Starbucks has committed an additional $1.5 million over the next 3 years to support the expansion of the Conservation Coffee™ program in Central America, Peru and Colombia.