Social Justice is a part of almost all the jobs in any sectors. Today, many of the companies working around us, operates to leverage their employees, products and profits to better their community or the world even. Some of the existing companies have thought even further and are socially responsible entrepreneurs that work to make the world better with market based approaches.
One such company that shall be taken into consideration today is Starbucks. From the period they have opened their doors, more than 4o years now; Starbucks have always tried to be a much different company. Their mission was not only to generate revenue for their board of directors but also to ‘Inspire and Nurture the Human Spirit’. During the year of 2013, they mentioned in their Annual report (2013) that they have lived up to their mission in the way that they sourced their products, invested in communities and thereby reducing their environmental footprint.
Understanding their social responsibility and the benefits of it Starbucks always kept a close relationship with their farmers who produced them the coffee. Starbucks opened its first farmers support centre in the Costa Rica in the year 2004 to be of help and support to the farmers with their needs and also implemented C.A.F.E (Coffee and Farmer Equality) system. The monitoring committee also made sure that these CAFÉ practices were spread to the coffee farmers who supply Starbucks at China, Guatemala and Rwanda also. This system of CAFÉ practice made sure that the farmers are met with their needs to provide them with C.A.F.E standard coffee beans. In the year 2013 by being socially responsible they could attain 95% of their coffee purchases met C.A.F.É practice standard
Starbucks still continues their efforts in being Socially Just and responsible thereby making progress in their environmental efforts. The 2013 Annual report states that they have brought down the usage of water by 21% over the baseline levels and will attain the 25% savings by the year of 2015. Hence being one among the best Socially Just Business firm of the world.
References:
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Cicourel, Aaron Victor. The social organization of juvenile justice. Vol. 36. Transaction Publishers, 1995.
Pennings, J. M., Lee, K., & Van Witteloostuijn, A. (1998). Human capital, social capital, and firm dissolution. Academy of management Journal, 41(4), 425-440.
