In an attempt to bring a greater degree of transparency for their sustainability-centric young customers, Starbucks stores across the U.S. will allow consumers to scan a code on the coffee bags to identify the supply chain journey of their beans.
Specifically, the code will enable customers to find out where their beans came from, where they were roasted, and brewing tips from baristas, said Michelle Burns, senior vice president of global coffee, tea and cocoa, Starbucks. At the same time, farmers will be able to track their produce via a reverse code.
The supply chain tracking tool has been developed by tech titan Microsoft Corp. and leverages blockchain technology to allow Starbucks seamlessly to share with its customers the traceability data it has been collecting for over a decade. The tool is geared toward the younger sustainability-concerned customer base that has been steadily shifting toward small craft shops where coffee is roasted at the back of the store.
“We have been able to trace every coffee we buy from every farm for almost two decades,” Burns said.
