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We have relayed these concerns to our cocoa suppliers and asked them to address
these issues in West Africa through the Joint Protocol, which was signed by chocolate
manufacturers and related organizations in the cocoa industry, and witnessed by
members of the U.S. Congress, International Labor Organization (ILO), and several
nongovernmental organizations.
What we’ve learned from a comprehensive survey, conducted by the International
Institute of Tropical Agriculture, of labor and other practices on 3,000 West African
cocoa farms is that 96.7% of the children working on farms in Côte d’Ivoire were related
to the farmers. This is a typical occurrence on small family farms where everyone in the
family helps during the harvest season.
To help ensure economic sustainability of cocoa farming, our suppliers are committed
to paying a fair price to farmers for their cocoa. According to the International Cocoa
Organization (ICCO), commodity prices for cocoa are currently at their highest level
in years.
Beyond what we’ve asked of our suppliers, Starbucks actively supports the World Cocoa
Foundation (WCF), an organization that includes leaders in the cocoa industry and nonindustry
partners. Through its targeted educational and scientific programs, the WCF is
successfully encouraging sustainable and responsible cocoa farming in Africa, Asia and
Latin America.
G O I N G F O R W A R D
As we increase the number of Starbucks stores and hire more partners, we recognize
the challenge of consistently meeting the expectations of our customers for the
ultimate Starbucks Experience, as well as the expectations of our communities. But
challenges always present opportunities for improvement. So to ensure we maintain our
commitment to develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time, we will focus
on the following initiatives in 2004:
• Improve our interviewing techniques used during the hiring process to help us select new
partners who demonstrate customer-focused attributes and behaviors.
• Enhance partner training to emphasize Starbucks customer-focused culture, and
highlight the behaviors and actions that will make a positive difference to our customers.
• Continue to monitor developments in the debate about genetic modification and be
guided by regulatory authorities and concerns expressed by our consumers.
• Continue to provide support to the World Cocoa Foundation.
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