Let's have a Cup of Ambition

From the cup itself – the first retail cup made with fully recyclable paper fibre cups and lids – to what’s inside, with 100% Fairtrade tea and coffee paired with 100% RSPCA Assured milk, we’re committed to making every sip count.

But we wanted to do even more. In 2023, we launched our 'Cup of Ambition' programme. For every cup of tea, mocha or coffee sold in our Cafés, we donate 1p to empower farmers and workers in our Latin American and African supply chains to support their communities.

The Cup of Ambition programme is dedicated to protecting the livelihoods of our producers and strengthening their climate and financial resilience. This includes giving them the tools and training to develop additional income streams. We know that women are often the most vulnerable to the impacts of poverty and climate change across the world, which is why the programme has a strong focus on empowering women.

One of our tea growers from Rwanda, Murekatete Francoise, says

"Thanks to Emerging Leaders and Marks & Spencer, my family has found a new way of living. We are empowered, hopeful, and respected. Women are in love with tea again because they see it as the doorway to a brighter future."

Turning learning into lasting change

After taking part in our CARE Peru training on budgeting, saving and building a business, local entrepreneurs in San Ignacio and Jaén have put their new skills into action and are seeing real results.

From developing business plans and models to selling their products at local markets, participants have turned ideas into thriving enterprises. At the recent Binational Expo Fair, seven of the businesses we’ve supported took part, selling their products they created to customers at the fair – putting skills learnt into action.

The training has also helped connect entrepreneurs with local financial institutions and uncover new opportunities in areas like beekeeping, carpentry, farming and small restaurants.

More than just economic success, these achievements represent growing confidence, collaboration and ambition.

As well as 100% of our tea and coffee being Fairtrade, we are also working with Fairtrade Africa to invest in new cookstoves for Ethiopian coffee farmers. These new cookstoves reduce household air pollution by up to 70% compared to traditional cooking techniques and carbon emissions from home cooking. They also produce a by-product called biochar, which can be used as a soil additive.

By the end of the project, 15,000 cookstoves will be distributed to families. The cookstoves will be produced locally by young community members, leading them to feel more valued within their community, as well as creating new opportunities to learn new skills and grow their income.

The tea in this range is sourced, traded and audited as Fairtrade, ensuring tea producers receive Fairtrade terms, but through a sourcing model called mass balance. This means that the tea may be mixed during processing with non-certified [mass balance ingredient], so that the total matches the amount sourced as Fairtrade (mass balance), total xx%. For more information visit info.fairtrade.net/sourcing.

In Ethiopia’s Limu coffee-growing region, an innovative new partnership is transforming how communities use water. Funded by our Cup of Ambition programme, Taylors of Harrogate, and Trabocca, and delivered by Project Waterfall and the Millennium Water Alliance, the project aims to convert coffee processing wastewater into safe drinking water as well as protect local ecosystems and build resilience for coffee growers and their families.

Lucinda Langton, Head of Sustainability at M&S Food, said: “At M&S, our ambition to be the most trusted retailer is built on doing the right thing, always. This new project tackles access to safe drinking water while addressing environmental pollution, supporting growers today and protecting resources for tomorrow.”

For Dejene Dadi, General Manager at Oromia Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union, the potential is transformative: “Coffee is our backbone, and this initiative helps protect our local water sources, community health and the long-term sustainability of our industry.”

One of our tea growers from Kenya,​ Beatrice Wairimu

When we first met Beatrice in November 2024, she proudly showed us the flip chart from her Emerging Leaders training, now hanging in her shop to help teach customers how to cut expenses and boost income. Inspired by the course, she began selling juice at her local market, increasing her daily earnings by 49%, and joined other farmers to form a Village Savings Group to support financial growth in her community.

Nearly a year later, Beatrice’s business continues to grow. She’s learned to align her stock with seasonal demand, expanded her customer base and has already saved a third of her financial goal and, while caring for her husband, still maintains her tea farm with hired pluckers. Now treasurer of her self-help group, Beatrice hosts monthly meetings at her home – proof that small steps can spark lasting change.

The Mugiki Self Help Group: Growing together beyond tea

Formed after the Emerging Leaders training in July 2024, the Mugiki Self Help Group began with 16 farmers – eight men and eight women – united by a goal to save, learn and grow together. When we first met them in November 2024, they were just getting started. Less than a year later, the group is fully registered with a joint bank account, structured savings and a kitty of money they can all pull from.

Each member contributes monthly and can borrow up to twice their savings – loans that have already helped businesses expand. Beyond finances, the group has built strong bonds, meeting in members’ homes and supporting each other during difficult times. With seed funding, they’ve also bought two tea pruning machines, creating local jobs and efficiency in farming. Together, they’re proving that when farmers unite, communities thrive.