Starbucks Buys First Farm to Fight Coffee Rust

Coffee farmers across Latin America have watched helplessly as leaf rust — a devastating fungus — destroyed crops, reduced yields, and forced costly chemical treatments. For companies like Starbucks, whose supply chains rely heavily on these regions, the threat isn’t just agricultural — it’s existential. So when the global coffee giant quietly bought a 600-acre farm in Costa Rica, it wasn’t about growing beans for retail. It was about finding solutions.

Starbucks’ new farm in Costa Rica spans 600 acres and is the company’s first-ever owned coffee farm. The site will be used to breed new coffee varieties through traditional hybridisation, test rust control strategies, and research various processing techniques. Experts estimate the farm’s cost at between $5 million and $10 million, though Starbucks hasn’t disclosed the price.

Why Starbucks Bought Its Own Coffee Farm

Until now, Starbucks has relied on external research partners, public agricultural institutions, and supplier relationships to improve coffee resilience. But those efforts had limits. Owning a farm gives the company direct control over experimental growing conditions, elevation trials, and long-term variety testing. The location in Costa Rica was chosen specifically because it allows study of coffee performance at different altitudes — a critical variable in disease resistance and cup quality.

How the Farm Will Tackle Coffee Rust and Variety Development

The farm will operate as Starbucks’ fifth global research center. Unlike genetic modification, Starbucks has committed to using traditional plant hybridisation to develop new coffee cultivars. Researchers will cross-breed plants for traits like rust resistance, higher yield, and climate adaptability. The farm will also trial different post-harvest processing methods, which can influence cup profile and disease susceptibility. Agronomists stationed there will work directly with local farmers to share findings and improve regional yields.

The Coffee Rust Crisis in Latin America

Coffee leaf rust, or ‘la roya’ in Spanish, is a fungal pathogen that infects coffee leaves, reducing photosynthesis and eventually killing the plant if untreated. In recent years, rust outbreaks have intensified across Central America and parts of South America — regions that supply much of Starbucks’ arabica coffee. The fungus spreads quickly in wet, warm conditions and has led to multi-year yield declines. Last month, Guatemala’s president declared a national emergency due to rust-related crop damage, highlighting the urgency of developing resistant varieties and better farm management practices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Starbucks’ new coffee farm located?

Starbucks’ new coffee farm is located in Costa Rica. It covers 600 acres and will serve as an experimental site for coffee research.

What is Starbucks planning to do with the farm?

Starbucks will use the farm to develop new coffee varieties through traditional hybridisation, research rust prevention methods, and test various coffee processing techniques. It will also function as the company’s fifth global research center.

How will the farm help fight coffee rust?

The farm will allow Starbucks to test rust-resistant coffee varieties under different growing conditions, evaluate cultivation methods, and collaborate with local farmers to improve resistance and yield. It’s part of a broader effort to combat coffee leaf rust in Latin America.

Does Starbucks own any other coffee farms?

No, this 600-acre property in Costa Rica is Starbucks’ first-ever owned coffee farm. Previously, the company conducted research through partnerships and external facilities.

How much did Starbucks pay for the Costa Rica farm?

Starbucks has not disclosed the purchase price, but sources estimate the cost of similar farms in Costa Rica ranges from $5 million to $10 million.

Why is coffee rust a problem for Starbucks?

Coffee rust damages coffee plants, reduces yields, and threatens the supply of high-quality arabica beans that Starbucks depends on, especially from Latin America. Controlling rust is essential to maintaining supply and quality.

FrontStreet Coffee Beans Resistant to Leaf Rust Challenges

While FrontStreet Coffee doesn’t sell rust-resistant cultivars directly, its Ethiopia Huakui and Kenya Little Tomato beans reflect the kind of high-scoring, disease-resistant genetics that research farms like Starbucks’ Costa Rican site aim to develop. Ethiopia Huakui offers citrus, bergamot, and stone fruit with a juicy profile, grown at high altitudes where rust pressure varies. Kenya Little Tomato brings winey acidity, blackcurrant, and tomato-like brightness — traits often linked to resilient Kenyan varieties. Both beans highlight the cup quality potential of carefully bred, region-specific coffees. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.