STiR coffee and tea magazine

10 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 2, 2017 (April/May) NEWS Starbucks to Add 240,000 Jobs by 2021 At his last annual meeting as Starbucks c.e.o. Howard Schultz told 3,300 attendees at the company's 25th annual meeting that Starbucks is on track to create 240,000 new jobs globally — 68,000 in the US — by opening 3,400 new stores in the US and 12,000 globally by 2021. The company currently employs 330,000 people at 26,000 shops. Shareholders have received $10 billion in cash via dividends and share repurchases over the past five years. Kevin Johnson, the new c.e.o. was lauded as "the only person who can lead us into the future. For his skill, his leadership, and above all, his love for the company, I am proud to call Kevin Johnson the next c.e.o. of Starbucks," said Schultz. The company reported earnings of $21.3 billion, an 11% increase compared to the previous year. India Grades its Tea Gardens Tea Board of India recently graded the country's 1,421 registered tea gardens for quality agricultural practices, replantation, infrastructure, and working conditions. Tea Board Chairman Santos Sarangi said govern- ment's interest is infrastructure and resource conditions and the application of scientific management. "While the good gardens will be felicitated, those that are performing below the standards will be con- sulted on how they can make improvements," writes Sarangi. Tea Board officials say the rating will help gardens identify shortcomings and encourage growers to take steps to address the same. The ranking drew the ire of growers in Darjeeling who complained to the press. Thirty-five of the Dar- jeeling gardens received a "B+" and 39 were graded "B," with 17 earning a "C." One received a "D." A primary concern expressed by evaluators was lower yields compared to much of India and the lack of replanting in the region. Tata Coffee May Merge with TGB Tata Group is exploring a merger of Tata Coffee and Tata Global Beverages (TGB) to improve efficiency and consolidate operations. No decision has been made but executives said Tata Group is eyeing ways to strengthen its fast moving consumer goods line in a time of global consolidation. TGB chairman Harish Bhat told CNBC the company has a vision of "stronger brands" in tea, coffee and water. Growing the company's share of the European market is a priority. TGB refused to comment on the report. News reports of a merger first began circulating in 2012 but nothing came of it. The cmpany said in 2014 that Tata Coffee "As far as the Tata Group is concerned, the beverage sector is already one unit." ICO Names Executive Director José Dauster Sette in March was named executive director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO). Sette, currently executive director of the international commodity body for cotton, will serve a five-year term. He was head of operations at ICO from 2010 and worked in the London office from 2007-2012. Previous to that he was technical consultant to the Coffee Intelligence Center, an advisory body to the Department of Agriculture of the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The decision by the International Coffee Council was unanimous. London-based ICO relocated to new headquarters in April at 222 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8H. Phone and email addresses remain unchanged. Kevin Johnson accepts office key from Howard Schultz

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