Starbucks, operated in Colombia by licensed business partner Alsea, proudly celebrates its tenth anniversary in the market this year with the release of new packaging for its single-origin Starbucks® Colombia Nariño whole bean coffee.
Since its arrival to the market in 2014, Starbucks Colombia has opened stores across six cities, including Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena and, most recently, Bucaramanga, while reinforcing its commitment to supporting the local community and creating employment opportunities with over 700 partners (employees) proudly wearing the green apron.
History of Colombian Coffee sourcing
Starbucks has offered coffee from Colombia since its founding in 1971, with a blend on the company’s original menu. About 20 years later in the early 1990’s, Starbucks ® Colombia Nariño coffee was introduced to Starbucks portfolio and released in Colombian stores in 2014. It is a medium-bodied coffee featuring mesmerizing notes of hazelnut with sweet herbals and a dusted cocoa finish.
Harvested in the mountain region of Southern Colombia that bears its name, the colorful new packaging pays tribute to Nariño’s volcanic terrain, natural landscapes, vivid blue sky, and the iconic pre-Colombian symbols that characterize local culture. Nariño’s proximity to the Andes and the Pacific Ocean creates ideal conditions for cultivating exceptional coffee – a harmonious blend of fertile volcanic soil and the microclimate, with alternating sun and rainfall, that gives birth to distinct flavors.
“Our team is thrilled to kick-off our 10th anniversary celebration by honoring one of the most influential coffee-growing regions for the Starbucks brand in Colombia – Nariño. Since Starbucks first opened its doors in Colombia in 2014, we have had the privilege of strengthening our commitment to promoting locally-grown coffee, offering 100% Colombian coffee in our handcrafted espresso-based beverages and in a variety of whole bean coffees,” said Cielo Morera, director of Starbucks Colombia.
Supporting local coffee communities
Building on over five decades of sourcing, roasting and serving Colombian coffee worldwide and with a Farmer Support Center located in Manizales, Starbucks is dedicated to working alongside Colombian coffee growers to support their well-being, that of their families, and their communities, while ensuring a sustainable supply of high-quality coffee.
In 2020, Starbucks and the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) launched a program to support Colombian coffee growers in the Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices Farmer network to renovate their farms with more resilient coffee tree varieties through a donation of 23 million coffee seedlings across the market. In 2022, Starbucks and the FNC agreed to extend and expand the program to a total of 45 million coffee seedlings across Colombia by September 2023 and to additionally provide funding for the purchase of fertilizers needed during early growth stage of the coffee plants. With a total investment of more than USD 7.2 million, the Starbucks coffee renovation program has impacted over 12,000 Colombian farmers to date.
Furthermore, as part of a partnership with Conservation International in Huila, Colombia, Starbucks is continuing efforts to protect and restore critical forests that coffee communities depend on. Working with various farmers across seven coffee producing municipalities, Starbucks and Conservation International promoted restoration and conservation efforts and helped monitor carbon and water impacts on and around farms. The support of farmers extends into the community as Starbucks and Conservational International work together to build the capacity of local plant nurseries, increase awareness of local habitat, advance community and stakeholder engagement, and improve the water quality in surrounding watersheds.
The Starbucks Foundation is also supporting several projects in Colombia as part of its goal to positively impact 1 million women and girls in coffee, tea and cocoa-growing communities around the world by 2030. Through grants to Mercy Corps, The Starbucks Foundation is promoting gender equality training, expanding access to clean water and improving waste management for women coffee farmers and their families in Nariño and Cauca.
Last year, in recognition of Colombia’s National Coffee Day, Starbucks Colombia announced the launch its “Together for Coffee” program, where a percentage of Colombian whole bean coffee sales support local coffee communities. Initially launched as a pilot program in 2022 by Starbucks Colombia and the Starbucks Farmer Support Center in Manizales, the first year of the program saw the donation of 1,500 native trees to coffee growers in Nariño. The trees provided necessary shade to coffee plants, reducing the temperature of the crops and ensuring higher quality of beans and increased profitability for local coffee farmers. In 2023, Starbucks Colombia donated an additional 2,000 native trees to coffee growers in the Santander department through customer and partner (employee) donations. The annual program will return in summer 2024.
