Starbucks ties up with Tata Starbucks to develop set up Farmer Partnership

Reaffirming its long-term commitment to India, and its plans to deepen its coffee leadership in the market, Starbucks Coffee Company on Thursday announced the establishment of a Farmer Support Partnership (FSP).

In collaboration with Tata Starbucks Private Limited, the FSP will connect local agronomists and farmers to global farming best practices through open-source agronomy.

Starbucks Coffee Trading Company, SARL (SCTC), Starbucks global procurement and trading subsidiary, will collaborate closely with Tata Starbucks to empower 10,000 farmers by 2030. The FSP based in Karnataka will combine Tata Starbucks deep local knowledge, India’s coffee-growing heritage, and decades of Starbucks global agronomy expertise. It will support farmers from India’s key coffee growing states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala to strengthen connections with Starbucks global network, drive innovation, and share best practices in farming and sustainability to ensure a sustainable future for India coffee.

The FSP will set up technical “model farms” in partnership with farmers in India, incorporating global learnings, to embed best practices in coffee agronomy and test sustainable solutions. The FSP in India will serve as a hub for testing new varieties, provide knowledge on innovative farming techniques aligned to Indian practices and conditions, and share insights about other agroforestry initiatives to improve coffee quality, productivity and climate resiliency.

Meanwhile, Sunil D'Souza, Managing Director & CEO at Tata Consumer Products said, “Through the past decade, together, Tata Consumer Products and Starbucks, have helped shape India’s thriving coffee culture and industry. With this new initiative, we are pleased to pair Starbucks global agronomy expertise with Tata’s footprint in India to drive tangible impact and pave the way for the future of responsible coffee farming in India.”