One of the most potent symbols of globalisation, Starbucks, the worldwide coffee shop chain, has been using its position to promote fair trade. The company announced that it would pay a premium of 10 cents per pound of coffee and give preference in the purchasing chain to farmers for beans that are grown on environmentally and socially responsible farms.

Conservation International is to help oversee third-party verification that suppliers are taking steps to conserve water and energy, reduce pesticide use and provide safe working conditions that comply with local wage and benefit laws. Starbucks is yet to comment on whether any farms have passed the test and are benefiting from the premiums.

The announcement came as Starbucks is looking to expand into South America, where most of its coffee comes from. This has been met with disdain from environmental groups, despite Starbucks trying hard to promote a responsible image. It released its first corporate social responsibility annual report earlier this year and has been named in the top 100 best corporate citizens by US-based Business Ethics magazine. It has launched “shade-grown” coffee that it buys from sustainable farms in Mexico, which requires less chemical use and prevents the clearing of forests for mass cultivation. Cafés are also now allowed to sell Fairtrade-labelled coffee after an agreement was made with the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation in May this year. But as coffee prices drop, Starbucks’ brand prominence makes it a target for fair trade campaigners, despite its total purchases accounting for only about 1% of the world’s coffee supply.