Starbucks announces venture into life-changing initiative for nation's farmers: 'Proud to ... support programs that strengthen our promise'

World Food Program USA and Starbucks have announced a partnership to improve food security for coffee-growing communities in Guatemala, according to a press release shared by Communicaffe International.

Guatemalan coffee farmers play a critical role in Starbucks' supply chain, but due to extreme weather events, they have been experiencing food scarcity. This new program is intended to serve a reported 600 households by "[diversifying] family incomes and [enhancing] access to nutritious food, with a strong focus on Indigenous women and children."

The corporation says the effort is part of its commitment to improving the livelihoods of farmers, who are essential to its operations.

Kelly Goodejohn, chief social impact officer at Starbucks, said in the WFP release, "We are honored to join efforts with World Food Program USA to create valuable impact for coffee growing communities in Guatemala by improving nutrition and the resiliency of food access."

Though Starbucks is making efforts to operate more sustainably, the company may still have a long way to go. It has previously been accused of greenwashing, a practice wherein brands frame their products, processes, and policies as more environmentally friendly than they actually are, for allegations of not ensuring its recyclable cups are recycled.

When consumers make an effort to support companies that are genuinely committed to reducing environmental impacts, sustainability can be demonstrated as simply good for business. It can take some research to avoid buying greenwashed products and enabling less-than-transparent practices, but the extra steps can bring benefits to customers who want to make informed, empowered choices about where and how they spend their money.

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While corporations like Starbucks can significantly contribute to the pollution and warming of our planet, they can also reflect and make real changes for a cleaner, safer, and more just future for everyone.

Goodejohn shared in the release that the company is "proud to invest and support programs that strengthen our promise to farmers to ensure a sustainable future of coffee for all."

In partnership with Conservation International, Starbucks has also "delivered climate-resilient coffee seedlings to more than 40,000 farmers across Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador" since 2017, according to the environmental nonprofit.

As the whole industry faces climate-related challenges, coffee farmers globally are looking into lesser-known heat- and drought-resistant varieties like excelsa coffee. Smallholder farmers are also collaborating with a range of partners to combine ancestral and innovative farming practices that nurture soil health, support biodiversity, and conserve water in the face of extreme weather events fueled by rising temperatures.