[Starbucks and The Colombian Coffee Federation: How can business aims and brand identity co-exist with ethical and environmental concerns within the coffee industry?]

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Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of environmental and ethical concern in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is environmental and ethical concerns and its relation with coffee industry. The research also analyzes many factors of environmental issues and tries to gauge the impact of coffee industry on environmental issues. Finally the research describes various factors which are responsible for environmental and ethical issues and tries to describe the overall effect of coffee industry on environment.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

1.1 Outline of the Study1

1.2 Introduction to the Research1

1.3 Problem Statement3

1.4 Research Aims and Objectives3

1.5 Ethical Concerns4

1.6 Limitations, Assumptions and Suggestion for Future Research5

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW6

2.1 Environmental Concerns and Coffee6

2.2 Mycotoxins - Their Impact on Food Safety with Focus on Coffee7

2.3 Preservation of Environment8

2.4 Management of Ethical Corporate Identity10

2.5 Strong Brands Drive Innovation14

2.6 Customer loyalty15

Customer Loyalty: to find “their”16

Factors Influencing Customer Loyalty18

2.7 Product mix, size and position changes19

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY21

3.1 Mixed Methodology of Research21

3.2 Reason for Choosing Focus Group21

3.3 Variables22

3.4 Research Instrument22

3.5 Research Design and process22

3.6 Coding23

3.7 Participants23

CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS24

4.1 Starbucks sustainable experience and Environmental Concern25

4.2 Colombian coffee Federation26

4.3 Results from SPSS28

4.4 Discussion42

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION44

REFERENCES45

APPENDIX49

Gantt chart49

Questionnaire50

Graphs of Frequency Distributions53

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Outline of the Study

This research focuses on the various aspects of environmental and ethical concerns of coffee industry and how does coffee industry deal with it. The study comprises of the following chapters:

Introduction

Literature Review

Methodology

Conclusion

1.2 Introduction to the Research

According to the European Earth watch Institute, “Coffee is one of the world's most important crops, with more than 100 million people worldwide dependent upon it for their income.” Furthermore, Penderghast (1999) describes coffee as constituting the second most traded commodity in the world, after only crude oil. This is often surprising, since coffee is a luxury item, and is not even able to achieve hegemony in its own market, with tea representing a notable challenger.

However, there are a number of ethical and environmental issues that affect coffee brands. The coffee industry in general is tarnished somewhat with the mental image of slave labourers and unfairly underpaid workers. Whatever the truth of this mental image, it is a difficult one to shake and as every marketer knows; it is impressions that often count most. Coffee farming also carries connotations of deforestation and of unsustainable farming. There are even more vague and general notions of the coffee trade being connected to the drug trade and the ...