Starbucks, Arizona State University Extend Partnership With New Lab In Costa Rica

Starbucks announced today that it plans to extend its partnership with Arizona State University (ASU) and develop new academic programming at Hacienda Alsacia – the company’s global agronomy headquarters for research and development, located in Costa Rica.

The plans call for the company’s coffee farm to serve as a hub for hands-on and virtual learning opportunities for Starbucks partners (employees), students, researchers and industry leaders to study and develop solutions for some of the world’s most challenging environmental and social issues, including climate adaption, sustainability, and agricultural economics.

Starting this fall, the lab will begin to offer the first wave of educational programming to select ASU students and Starbucks employees. Included in the initial offerings will be study abroad opportunities associated with existing ASU degree programs in Sustainability, Sustainable Food Systems, Global Agribusiness, Environmental and Resource Management, among others.

Starbucks said the new lab is expected to physically open within the next three years.

Hacienda Alsacia has been involved for more than a decade in research and development, including creation of new coffee varieties, evaluation of disease-resistant coffee trees and development and dissemination of agricultural practices to produce a higher yield and ensure the future of coffee. While the research and development at Hacienda Alsacia will continue, the lab will expand the capabilities and collaboration and broaden its research and academic interests beyond coffee.

Regarding the initiative, Laxman Narasimhan, Starbucks chief executive officer, said in the announcement, “This is an opportunity for us to advance Starbucks environmental promise to give more than we take and our farmer promise to ensure the future of coffee for all. We know we cannot do this important work alone, and the possibilities in front of us to scale solutions, partner with thought leaders and serve as a global hub for innovation are limitless.”

Starbucks and Arizona State have a long partnership of offering educational and research opportunities. The Starbucks College Achievement Plan (SCAP), introduced in 2014, gives all of Starbuck’s U.S. employees an opportunity to earn their first-time bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University with 100% upfront tuition coverage.

Last month, SCAP achieved a major milestone, with 10,000 Starbucks employees having earned their baccalaureate degree through the partnership. The achievement was celebrated at Arizona State University’s spring commencement ceremony on May 8, where about 1,000 new SCAP graduates were eligible to participate.

In addition to SCAP, April 2022 saw the launch of the ASU-Starbucks Center for the Future of People and Planet, a new research and innovation facility created to find new ways to design, build and operate Starbucks.

“This is an exciting new chapter in our nearly decade-long partnership with Starbucks,’’ said Arizona State University President Michael Crow, in a news release about the new center. “The new sustainability learning and innovation lab will expand on our collaboration together, working closely to tackle critical challenges with a collective commitment to seek new and sustainable approaches that impact global communities.”