Starbucks Expands Coffee Innovation Network with New Farms in Guatemala and Costa Rica
Starbucks announced the expansion of its global coffee innovation network, aiming to connect farmers worldwide with vital resources to safeguard the future of coffee. Building on the pioneering agronomy advancements at Hacienda Alsacia, Starbucks’ first company-operated coffee farm, the company has added new farms in Guatemala and Costa Rica, with plans to further invest in Africa and Asia. These farms will focus on developing solutions to enhance farm productivity, support farmer profitability, and strengthen climate resilience.
“Starbucks collaborates with over 450,000 farms that produce the world’s finest Arabica coffee,” said Michelle Burns, Starbucks’ Executive Vice President of Global Coffee and Sustainability. “We are committed to ensuring a sustainable coffee future for everyone. By sharing research, seeds, and best practices across the industry, we help farmers tackle the challenges posed by climate change.”
Starbucks, which purchases three percent of the world’s coffee, exclusively sources Arabica beans renowned for their rich, complex flavors. However, climate change threatens coffee availability, quality, and farmers’ livelihoods. Rising temperatures, droughts, coffee leaf rust, and other climate-related issues are affecting both coffee production and flavor profiles.
At Hacienda Alsacia, Starbucks is working to mitigate these challenges through sustainable practices that enhance coffee profitability and quality. The company is developing the next generation of disease-resistant coffee and sharing innovations with farmers worldwide. As part of its commitment to distribute 100 million climate-resistant coffee trees by 2025, Starbucks has already shared nearly 90 million trees and more than 53 million seedlings with coffee farmers.
The new farms in Costa Rica and Guatemala will study hybrid coffee varieties across different elevations and soil conditions, critical for research into new genetic materials. The Costa Rican farm, located near Hacienda Alsacia, will also explore mechanization, drones, and other technologies to address labor shortages in Latin American coffee-growing regions. Meanwhile, the Guatemalan farm in Antigua Valley will simulate smallholder farm conditions, mirroring challenges many farmers face today.
With plans for additional investments in Africa and Asia, Starbucks’ coffee innovation network will span the three main coffee-growing regions of the “Coffee Belt”—Latin America, Africa, and Asia Pacific—enabling research across diverse landscapes, cultures, and farming techniques.
Starbucks will scale its findings through a global coffee innovation network that includes 10 Farmer Support Centers in key coffee regions, 70 model farms within its supply chain, and a new sustainability learning and innovation lab at Hacienda Alsacia, set to break ground in December.
Roberto Vega, Starbucks’ Vice President of Global Coffee Agronomy, R&D, and Sustainability, emphasized the importance of this work, stating, “Through these innovation farms, we will develop solutions that improve coffee productivity and empower farmers with the tools needed to thrive in a changing climate. These findings will benefit not only coffee growers but also farmers in other industries affected by climate change.”
