Starbucks and Tata Starbucks Launch Farmer Support Partnership Aiming to Aid 10,000 Indian Growers by 2030

Starbucks Coffee Company, in collaboration with Tata Starbucks Private Limited, has officially unveiled the Farmer Support Partnership (FSP) in India. This significant initiative, formally announced on November 19-20, 2025, in Mumbai, underscores the deepening commitment of the global coffee giant to one of its most rapidly expanding markets.

The collaboration involves Starbucks Coffee Trading Company, SARL (SCTC), the international procurement and trading arm of Starbucks, working closely with Tata Starbucks. Their shared objective is ambitious: to extend support to 10,000 coffee farmers by the year 2030. The operational core of the FSP will be established in the state of Karnataka. This strategic placement is designed to merge Tata Starbucks’ profound local knowledge with Starbucks’ extensive, multi-year expertise in agronomy.

The program’s reach will encompass coffee producers across vital growing regions, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala. Farmers within these areas will gain entry to leading global best practices through a series of open agronomic modules. This effort is crucial for elevating farming standards across the region.

To demonstrate viable, sustainable solutions, the partnership plans to establish technical “model farms.” These sites will serve as living laboratories for testing novel coffee varieties and implementing advanced cultivation techniques. Key methods to be promoted include agroforestry and Regenerative Agriculture (Regen-Ag), both aimed squarely at reducing the overall carbon footprint of coffee production.

As a tangible contribution to the sector’s advancement, Tata Starbucks has committed to distributing one million high-yield Arabica seedlings to farmers over the next five years. This action aligns perfectly with Starbucks’ broader global strategy, which already features established Farmer Support Centers (FSCs) in locations such as North Sumatra in Indonesia, Yunnan in China, and the Hacienda Alsacia plantation in Costa Rica.

Indian growers are also slated to receive access to Starbucks’ global digital training tools, scheduled for release in 2026. These digital resources will cover essential topics, including agronomy, coffee quality standards, and the C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) standards, which are foundational to ethical sourcing practices. Brian Nicoll, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, emphasized that India represents one of their fastest-growing territories, asserting that this partnership is actively shaping the future trajectory of coffee cultivation within the nation.

Sunil D’Souza, Managing Director and CEO of Tata Consumer Products, echoed this sentiment, noting that the initiative successfully marries Starbucks’ worldwide agronomic prowess with Tata’s established local presence to yield tangible results in responsible agriculture. This strategic alliance coincides with a significant milestone for the joint venture: the opening of the 500th Tata Starbucks store in India this very week, bringing the total count to 500 locations across 81 Indian cities as of November 2025.

While Starbucks’ sales in India saw a respectable 5% increase in Fiscal Year 2025, reaching ₹1,277 crore, the company concurrently experienced a rise in overall losses. This financial context underscores the critical importance of fostering sustainability and enhancing the profitability of farming operations as a prerequisite for the long-term viability of the entire coffee supply chain in the region.