Community Service 2009

To Starbucks, paying above-market prices for coffee beans doesn't just improve the lives of small-scale farmers. "If we build stable relationships with our growers, we'll get the highest-quality coffee," says Vivek Varma, the company's senior VP of global responsibility. The megachain recently doubled its purchase of Fair Trade coffee, to 40 million lb., and wants all its coffee to be ethically sourced by 2015. Starbucks offers full health-care coverage to part-time workers too, and since October 2007, its employees have completed over 400,000 hours of community service. Good joe and giving back: a rich blend.

See pictures of coffee in Italy.