Summary: Today on The Environment Report... Who's regulating coal ash? After one devastating spill... Tamara Keith reports some people are asking just that.
And, your cappuccino may have a conscience. Nancy Greenleese reports big multinational companies, like Starbucks, are functioning in some ways like charities. Some people think their motives are up for debate, but also they're doing a lot of good. More…
Cleaning up coal ash...
This is the Environment Report. I’m Rebecca Williams in for Lester Graham.
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This is the Environment Report.
Multinational corporations are often criticized for having a one track mind: money money money. But some companies are trying to be better corporate citizens. Some people still think it’s all just for show. Nancy Greenleese reports on one of these companies... Starbucks... and how it’s trying to improve the lives of farmers around the world:
At a Starbucks in Germany, customers are clamoring for their daily fix of caffeine.
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My name is Ellen Sycorder and I’m from Bonn. And I’m drinking a black coffee.
WHAT SHE DOESN’T realize IS that it’s coffee with a conscience. Starbucks buys the bulk of its coffee from farmers in its program called Coffee And Farmer Equity or CAFÉ. The farmers agree to grow quality coffee while respecting the environment and their workers. Ellen can drink to that.
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I think the idea is positive and I think I would drink more coffee here than somewhere else.
That’s exactly what Starbucks ordered when it started working with non-profits to help the farmers. Sometimes it even discourages growing beans. Starbucks’ director of global responsibility Dennis Macray says diversifying helps some farms, as he saw during a visit to a Kenyan supplier.
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In this case, the farmer was really proud of the fruits and other vegetables that he had on his farm. So he walked around and showed us how interspersed in-between the coffee and providing shade for the coffee which is very important were a number of other crops and fruits and things that he could either sell or his family could feed itself.
Starbucks is among a growing list of multinational companies that are pouring money into the developing world. Veteran international aid worker Carl Hammerdorfer SAYS WORKING WITH BIG CORPORATIONS made him pause at first.
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I would have said 5 years ago that these Fortune 500 companies are only talking about environmental and social concerns for marketing purposes, so they would improve their image and sell more product.
But he says companies have realized that global climate change could destroy their products’ raw materials. Hammerdorfer says they’re intesifying their commitment and has new-found faith.
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The evolution of their consciousness about social and environmental bottom lines is all good.
There’s some hand-wringing that the money will dry up due to the financial crisis. But Starbucks is expanding its program, saying that helping farmers will ultimately help the coffee company stay in the black.
That’s the Environment Report. I’m Rebecca Williams.
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