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 responsibly sourced milk, we’re committed to making every sip count.

But we wanted to do even more. In 2023, we launched our 'A Cup of Ambition' programme. For every cup of tea, coffee or mocha 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 A 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 on top of tea and coffee alone. We know that women are often the most vulnerable to the impacts of poverty and climate change across the world, which is why one of the programme's strong objective is empowering women.

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

"Thanks to Emerging Leaders and Marks and 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."

Expected outcome

• Income & livelihoods: 87.9% of households increased their income through improved productivity, diversification and farming practices.

• Financial resilience: 74% of households regularly saved money to invest in their future, education and business opportunities.

• Climate resilience: 73% of farmers adopted climate-smart farming techniques to better manage changing weather conditions.

• Women's empowerment: 88% of women reported greater economic independence, influence in household decisions or leadership opportunities.

CARE Peru is another of our charity partners, working at the Frontera coffee cooperative in Peru – and their impact has been incredible.

This project has enabled over 100 farmers to graduate through their entrepreneurship programme, training on financial and business skills to build on new and existing businesses, diversifying income beyond coffee and strengthening long-term financial security for their families.

One inspiring example is Maria, a farmer at Frontera, who used the training to expand her beekeeping business. The hives not only produce high-quality honey which she can sell to the local market, but the bees improve pollination, therefore gaining a higher yield for her coffee.

Turning learning into lasting change

At the recent Binational Expo Fair, seven of the businesses that attended, sold their products they created to customers – putting skills learnt into action. Registered sales increased by 89% for the participants.

After taking part in the CARE Peru training, local entrepreneur Hermelinda has put new skills into action and is seeing real results.

From developing business plans and models to selling her products at local markets, Hermelinda has turned her ideas into a thriving enterprise, growing by over 40% since the training.

As well as 100% of our tea and coffee being Fairtrade (and has been for 20 years), 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, to help fertilise coffee.

By the end of the project, 15,000 cookstoves will be distributed to families. The cookstoves will be produced locally by young community members, expanding youth employment opportunities and strengthening the growth of sustainable green enterprises at community level.

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 %. For more information visit info.fairtrade.net/sourcing.

In Ethiopia, an innovative new partnership is transforming how communities use water. Funded by the A Cup of Ambition programme and Taylors of Harrogate, 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.”

After attending Emerging Leaders training in Kenya, Wesley Langat turned new skills into action. He diversified his income by starting a vegetable farm, investing in dairy improvements, and planning a poultry business to serve local university students.

The impact extended beyond his own household. Wesley shared his learning with 12 community members, inspiring his savings group to begin contributing funds each month. Together, they have already accumulated savings together, strengthening their financial resilience.

By adopting a daily savings habit and reinvesting profits back into his farm, Wesley is steadily increasing his family's income. His story shows how practical training, entrepreneurship, and peer-to-peer learning can create lasting change, helping farmers build more secure livelihoods while uplifting their wider communities.

One of our tea growers from Kenya,​ Beatrice Wairimu

When Emerging Leaders first met Beatrice in November 2024, she proudly showed us the flip chart from her 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.

Thanks to you choosing an M&S cafe for your daily brew, you are helping to contribute and grow the A Cup of Ambition programme. Already this is what we have achieved with your support since 2023. Stop by one of our cafés again soon to continue making a difference.

Emerging Leaders Nearly 9 in 10 farming households reported higher incomes after taking part in the programme.

Fairtrade Foundation Almost 5,000 clean cookstoves were distributed, helping families save fuel, improve health and protect local forests.

World Coffee Research From 2029, Peruvian farmers will receive 2.4 million seedlings each year, with new trees expected to increase yields from five bags of coffee to six.

CARE Peru Small farming businesses supported through the programme increased sales by almost 90%, helping families diversify their income beyond coffee.

Project Waterfall Up to 14,400 people benefited from improved water stewardship, reduced coffee-processing pollution and access to safe water and sanitation services.