From bean to cup, India’s coffee value chain takes a leap

Visakhapatnam: As India being one of the fastest growing markets, Starbucks Coffee Company plans to set up a farmer support partnership (FSP) as part of its long-term commitment to the country. In collaboration with Tata Starbucks Private Limited, the FSP will connect local agronomists and farmers to global farming best practices through open-source agronomy.

This will become a reality by 2030 as Starbucks Coffee Trading Company, SARL (SCTC) will collaborate closely with Tata Starbucks to empower 10,000 farmers. The FSP based in Karnataka will combine Tata Starbucks deep local knowledge, India’s coffee-growing heritage and decades of Starbucks global agronomy expertise. It will support farmers from India’s key coffee growing states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala to strengthen connections with Starbucks global network, drive innovation, share best practices in farming and sustainability to ensure a sustainable future for India coffee.

Incorporating global learnings to embed best practices in coffee agronomy and test sustainable solutions, the FSP will set up technical ‘model farms’ in partnership with farmers in India. The FSP in India will serve as a hub for testing new varieties, provide knowledge on innovative farming techniques aligned with Indian practices and conditions, and share insights into other agroforestry initiatives to improve coffee quality, productivity and climate resiliency.

The goal is to build upon traditional methods to help farmers improve both the quality of their crops and profitability. The FSP will work closely with existing centres of excellence within the Starbucks global network. This includes partnering with farmer support centres (FSC) in coffee-growing regions across the world, where agronomists collaborate directly with farmers on research, and learning from existing ‘model farms’. This network includes FSCs in the APAC region in North Sumatra, Indonesia and Yunnan, China and Hacienda Alsacia in Costa Rica, Starbucks first company-operated coffee farm and headquarters to the Starbucks Costa Rica FSC and Starbucks Global Research and Development team.

Through the FSP, Indian farmers will also benefit from Starbucks 2026 global digital training tools, which will offer detailed online modules on agronomy, coffee quality, and C.A.F.E. (coffee and farmer equity) practices to foster ethical sourcing and ultimately enhance productivity and sustainability.

Further, it will also educate farmers about Regen-Ag (regenerative agriculture) practices and methods to reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints, and contribute to agroforestry and social development initiatives. To build capability and strengthen India’s entire coffee value chain, Tata Starbucks will also donate one million high-yield variety Arabica seedlings to farmers over the next five years.

During his visit to India, Brian Niccol, chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks, said, “India is one of our fastest-growing markets.