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Since 2 October 2008, every cup of coffee sold by Costa, the UK's largest and fastest growing coffee shop chain, has been made with beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance certified farms across all 785 of its UK stores.

The move means that Costa will buy almost 1,500 tonnes of green beans, already achieving 30% of its annual requirements from Rainforest Alliance certified farms. Costa and the Rainforest Alliance are discussing how to steadily increase this percentage as more farms are certified.

By January 2009, Coffee made from beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance certified farms will be available in Costa's global stores in 24 markets.

Rainforest Alliance works with farmers to ensure farms are not only run in an environmentally sustainable manner, but also improve conditions for workers and their families. This includes:

1. Ensuring the environment is protected

2. Improving worker safety

3. Ensuring workers are paid decent wages

4. Ensuring workers have housing and access to clean water

5. Ensuring workers have access to education and medical care.

Costa Coffee MD, John Derkach, said: "As the UK's largest and fastest growing coffee shop chain, we believe we have a responsibility to ensure that coffee production is sustainable, that it supports coffee growing communities and protects the environment. Recent YouGov research has revealed that UK consumers want ethically sourced coffee, another reason why we have made this important choice for our business. The work that the Rainforest Alliance does also complements our Costa Foundation projects perfectly."

Rainforest Alliance president, Tensie Whelan, said: "Costa Coffee's commitment to source increasing amounts of coffee from Rainforest Alliance certified farms demonstrates that sustainably sourced coffee really is now the mainstream choice. Costa customers can enjoy a great tasting cup of coffee knowing that it comes from well managed farms where workers are well cared for, children are able to go to school and forests and wildlife are protected."

Launch event

To celebrate the launch, Costa Coffee commissioned pavement artist Manfred Stader to create a giant 3D image of a Costa cup, using chalk and coffee roasting waste product from Costa's very own Roastery in Lambeth, London.

Chocolate dusting of a frog, the well-known symbol from the Rainforest Alliance logo, was replicated on top of the coffee froth. The event took place at Covent Garden Piazza on 2 October.