Starbucks - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

Guest Post by Amila Barakovic

Starbucks Corporation (Seattle WA) is the leading roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in North America and has become a truly global brand. At Starbucks, the company is committed to environmentally, socially and economically responsible leadership in all aspects of the business. The company’s commitment to being a deeply responsible company that contributes positively to communities and the environment is one of the six guiding principles of the company’s mission statement.

The company’s vision is to serve high-quality ethically traded coffee and to promote responsible growing practices for a better future of farmers and a more stable climate. The company’s goal is to provide 100% ethically grown and traded coffee by 2015. Many years ago, Starbucks started working with Conservation International to encourage farmers to use sustainable farming practices. Starbucks also created “Shared Planet,” an online social network to advance the company's commitment to do business in ways that are good for the earth and good for each other.

Starbucks is focused on shrinking its environmental footprint through energy and water conservation, recycling and green construction. Seventy percent of its stores recycle, stores give away used coffee grounds for composting, stores are committed to using 25% less energy, water and other resources, and the company plans to double its green energy purchases. The company has switched to paper cups and has saved approximately 200,000 trees. One of the company’s goals is to develop cups that create no waste after they are used.

The Starbucks Foundation supports literacy, education and youth leadership in communities with stores and makes social investments in countries where the company purchases coffee, tea, and cocoa. Through the Foundation, the company sells Ethos Water to support the Ethos Water Fund which provides water, sanitation and hygiene education programs in emerging economies.

Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week is a weekly behind-the-scenes look at what businesses are doing to be more sustainable and responsible in their operations.

Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week: If they can do it, so can you!

Higher Grounds Trading Company - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

Higher Grounds Trading Company (Traverse City MI) sells organic and fair trade coffee. But the company's commitment to sustainability goes beyond the products it sells.

The company's Trade for a Change fundraising program allows nonprofit organizations to sell Higher Grounds' organic and fair trade blends and thus increase sales for the coffee farmers.

With each purchase of one of the Coffees for Change blends, "Higher Grounds will donate a portion of the proceeds to worthy initiatives including the promotion of organic agriculture, education about economic justice, protection of bird habitat and indigenous rights and the construction of potable water systems!"

Through the Water for All campaign, each purchase of the Water Carrier’s Blend will result in a $5.00 donation to support the construction of sustainable water systems in coffee-growing countries.

Through the Oromia Photo Project, Oromia Coffee Farmers Grower Union farmers' activities are documented. Each week, new photos are added to the website so that you can learn more about how the coffee is produced. For each pound of the Ethiopian Oromia coffee sold, Higher Grounds will add an additional $1 tip to go back to the farmers.

Higher Grounds' Fair Trade Tours invites you to join them on a trip to partner farms and fair trade collaborators. You can choose from trips to Africa, Central America, or South America and $100 per participant is donated to a local project.

In addition, "Recycling, composting, and purchasing post consumer recycled paper for office supplies are all “business as usual” at Higher Grounds!"

Higher Grounds Trading Company was started by Chris and Jody Treter five years ago.

Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week is a weekly behind-the-scenes look at what businesses are doing to be more sustainable and responsible in their operations.

Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week: If they can do it, so can you!

Thanksgiving Coffee Company - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, it seemed appropriate that this week we highlight Thanksgiving Coffee Company. Based in California, they offer fair trade, organic, and kosher blends of coffee.

Their website states, "Our generation will always be faced with issues of sustainability, waste, and resource use. We recognize that it is in the best interest of our company to be actively involved in the environmental and social consequences of coffee consumption. These issues affect not just our employees and community, but also the millions of people involved in the cultivation, processing, transportation, trade, roasting, marketing, and sipping of coffee around the world. Our mission is to enhance the well-being of all we touch, from coffee picker to coffee drinker."

"Through our products and actions we communicate the values and ideals that are embodied in the name "Thanksgiving." We use the medium of coffee and the environmental and social responsibility issues it embodies to teach people how their purchases impact the rest of the world. We continually strive to improve our practices in order to model a new corporate paradigm that takes responsibility not only for current actions but for the future well-being of the whole planet."

Their motto: "Not Just a Cup, But a Just Cup"