Starbucks Buys New Coffee Farms To Study Hybrid Coffee Varieties as Climate Change Puts Pressure on Global Supply

2024-10-03 31

Starbucks has acquired two new coffee farms in Costa Rica and Guatemala to protect its coffee supply from climate change. The company, which purchases 3% of the world’s coffee, has been grappling with supply pressures caused by rising temperatures, extreme weather, and frosts in Brazil that have impacted coffee production. Consumer coffee prices have surged by 18% over the past five years, highlighting the strain on global supply. Starbucks aims to study hybrid coffee varieties that offer higher productivity and resistance to diseases like coffee leaf rust. The coffee giant plans to expand its farm holdings in Africa and Asia.