Starbucks Corp.

Starbucks Corporation is a U.S.-based coffee company, whose headquarters are located in Seattle, Washington State. It operates and franchises coffee shops worldwide, including restaurants selling coffee, tea, food products, packaged beverages, and other retail goods. The company's main functions and operations are based on coffee growing, selling coffee products, and providing services at its stores. Water is one of the most important resources in Starbucks' core operations, including agricultural practices and processes of creating beverages.

Starbucks' most prominent water management practice is its supply-chain water stewardship model. The company prioritizes the connection between coffee-growing regions, water access and sanitation, watershed conservation, and coffee-processing water efficiency. Overall, in fiscal years 2025, 745,034 people worldwide are reported to have benefited from the WASH programs initiated by the company, providing community-based solutions to water access and sanitation issues, which is more than double the number of FY24 (343,089). In collaboration with Ripple Effect, Starbucks has implemented water and sanitation solutions in Rwanda to provide clean water access and promote food security, female and vulnerable groups' empowerment, and household income growth.

Moreover, Starbucks' water stewardship strategy is focused on coffee production. Specifically, in FY25, 1,762 EcoMills were funded, compared to 1,643 in FY24. Water efficiency is one of the primary concerns for coffee growing, as water use accounts for the largest percentage of water consumption in coffee-producing countries. EcoMills promotes the reduction of water use in coffee-processing facilities, which helps local ecosystems by reducing pollution from coffee wastewater.

Finally, the company has improved monitoring processes and scopes of operations related to water usage. In FY25, 13,380 coffeehouses were verified against energy, water, and waste reduction standards, with 9,295 in North America and 4,085 in other regions, compared to 9,396 coffeehouses worldwide in FY24. During FY25, C.A.F.E. Practices coverage reached 99.15% of purchased coffee, reporting an increase of 10 basis points since FY24. However, farms with validated C.A.F.E. Practices decreased from 441,761 in FY24 to 383,498 in FY25.

Even though Starbucks' water management practices have been deemed successful, issues have been reported regarding water access and sanitation. During FY25, the company spent 53,180 megaliters of water, compared to 41,971 megaliters in FY24. The percentage of water consumed from the highest-risk basins is also increasing, with 40% of direct operations and 42% of licensed stores. During FY25, the company reported 431 issues related to water access, sanitation, and labor issues. Additionally, the number of resolved problems in the field of water access and sanitation is only 13%, at the end of FY25.